If Only
by xxlildevilxx1506
Summary: If only Albus and Minevra had acted on their feelings all of those years ago, so many things could have been different. Including the life of one Harry James Potter. ADMM
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own anything even remotely Harry Potter related.

Prologue

A man sat conflicted in a room decorated in tones of red and gold lit only by the dieing embers of a fire. He was a handsome man. Only thirty some years of age with longish auburn hair that fell down to his cheeks in a wavy fashion. He had a tall, thin and, muscular frame that turned more than a few heads. His normally twinkling blue eyes were unfocused ad confused.

He'd always been able to solve his own problems, a direct result of loosing his parents when he was only twelve. Forcing him to become the head of a pureblood family and give up the rest of his childhood. He'd been looking out for himself and his younger brother for so long that he'd become used to being the person who answered questions not asked them.

With a frustrated sigh he stood up abruptly, his tall frame casting dim shadows in the almost dark room, and started pacing. His name was Albus Dumbledore. He was the famous auror, the first apprentice to Nicolas Flamel in over two hundred years, the boy with the highest OWL's and NEWT's since the famed Nicolas Flamel. It was all very frustrating. He'd had to leave his job as an auror after only two years because he was hounded by people at the ministry.

Everyone believed him to be so smart and wise yet here he was not able to solve a problem about women. Not that he had problems with women, no it was in fact the opposite. Women threw themselves at him just so that they could say they slept with the famous Albus Dumbledore. He was fine with it and had even abused his fame somewhat. That is until he met her.

All of his problems revolved around her. He'd come to Hogwarts for a peaceful existence away from the public eye teaching his favorite subject, transfiguration. For the first two days of his new career it seem his plan was working fantastically. That is until he saw her. He'd been struck dumb.

He had never seen anything as beautiful in his life. It was in that first second that he'd fallen in a love never to come out of it again. Her name was Minerva Mcgonagall. She was a smart and vibrant sixth year student who never let anything hold her back. If she decided she wanted something she'd go after and get it.

She had perfect ivory skin that was lightly kissed with a tan from her quiditch practices. Her long ebony hair contrasted sharply with her pale features but made her even more beautiful. She stood tall and always had a slight smile on her full red lips. And even though he prided himself on being a gentleman he couldn't help but notice she had the most amazing figure he'd ever seen. Though the thing that attracted him most to her was her eyes. The were the deepest green he'd ever seen. It seemed to Albus that he could tell exactly what her mood was just by looking into her eyes.

He'd fallen in love with one of his students, something he knew was wrong but couldn't stop. And that was where his problem lay. He loved her, but it would be going against everything he believed in to act on his feelings. He also didn't know if she felt the same way about him.

Minerva Mcgonagall would never love him. He already knew. He was an over exaggerated man of thirty-two. While she was perfect and only eighteen years old. She thought of him as her transfiguration professor and maybe something of a mentor. Or at least that's what he told himself several times a day.

He sighed again and ran his hand through his hair. He was running out of time to make his decision. The NEWT testing was over and the seventh year students were officially done with their schooling. In four more days they would go home never to grace the halls as a student again.

Which ment he either told Minerva how he felt about her or lost his chance, possibly forever. Because he had no doubt that other men would be lining up to be with Minerva. She had been the beau of the school since her fourth year.

He would have continued his internal debate all night if he hadn't been interrupted by a knock on the door to his rooms. He stopped pacing and looked at the door bewildered. It was midnight three hours past curfew, so it couldn't be a student. But what would a professor be doing up here at this time of night.

With a frown he walked over to the door. He only hoped it wasn't ancient ruins professor, Maja Hammond, she had been practically stalking him since he got here. Not that he had anything against the woman but he didn't fancy sleeping with someone old enough to his grandmother. He shivered mentally as he opened the door.

Whatever he had been expecting it wasn't a scarcely clad Minerva Mcgonagall. He felt his heart in his throat and his eyes widen as her drunk in the sight of her. She was wearing a silky robe over, who knows what else, that only went down to mid thigh. The robe was also open a little in the front for him to see more cleavage that he'd ever thought he'd see.

He'd never seen anything as arousing despite the countless women he'd slept with over the years. Against his will his anatomy was starting to react to the goddess in front of him.

"May I come in, Professor?" Minerva asked. The question itself was perfectly normal but the way she said professor made it sound like something extremely erotic.

"O...of course." Albus answered with stutter, a slight blush, and his voice a note or three higher than normal.

Minerva smiled and walked past him into his drawing room. Not knowing what else to do he followed her like the love sick puppy he was. All the while cursing himself for not being able to stay composed.

They stopped in the middle of his drawing room and for a few minutes just stared at each other. Minerva with apparent ease and Albus with some difficulty as he had to harshly remind himself repeatedly that he must keep his eyes on her face and not her chest or legs. Which he had just seen for the first time and looked to be sculpted by the gods themselves. His appreciation for quiditch just rose hugely.

The without warning Minerva moved swiftly towards him and kissed him full on the mouth. Albus's brain froze as he felt Minerva's incredibly soft lips touching his. She was so close that he could smell her scent of soft lavender and felt her body pressing against his. It was intoxicating and he found he could feel his self control slipping but somehow he couldn't find himself caring.

Before he even could even understand the situation, his body reacted and made the decision for him. He kissed Minerva back and soon though he didn't even realize it happening Minerva had helped him out of his robes and the button up shirt he wore underneath. He meanwhile had his hand under her robe and was caressing her supple breasts.

His brain process returned to him when Minerva moaned, loudly. His eyes snapped open and he observed the scene for the first time. His mouth was kissing/biting a trail down Minerva's neck to her breast's. It was then when he noticed they were on the floor and he was on top of Minerva. Minerva herself was practically naked only some lace knickers covering her, her robe had been discarded an indeterminable amount of time earlier. Her breathing was heavy and her hands were digging into Albus's shoulders begging for his attention elsewhere.

He stopped somewhat comically with his mouth open against her neck in mid suckle as his actions registered. He was three articles of clothing and a hairs breath of self control away from having sex with a student.

Slowly with wide eyes he moved his head from the crook of her neck and looked her in the eyes. Her hair was frazzled and she sported a slight blush on her ivory cheeks but other wised looked amused at the look on his face. Albus had never been more attracted to her. His resolve slipped a bit more.

He opened his mouth to say something unintelligent when Minerva kissed his softly on the corner of his mouth.

"I love you Albus Dumbledore and I have since the first moment you stepped into my life." she said softly but her voice held such sincerity that Albus couldn't help but believe her. He froze when she said this. Could this be true? His mind screamed. Could the women he loved really return his affections?

"Y..You're my student." he stuttered out lamely.

Minerva merely raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "Not as of six hours ago." she replied lazily.

"I'm fourteen years older than you." Albus argued. Even though he wanted nothing more than to continue on with their earlier actions. He didn't even know why he was arguing with her.

Minerva sighed exasperated. She leaned forward so that she was whispering directly into his ear. Sending small shivers of delight down his spine. "I love you Albus Dumbledore, and I've seen the way you look at me. Right now I want nothing more than to have you inside of me." As she was speaking she slowly drug a finger down his muscled chest and onto the bulge of his trouser's.

The last action broke his resolve and he eagerly picked up where he left off. Only this time he was completely aware of every little sound Minerva made and he committed certain spots to memory.

It wasn't until they were both drifting off into an exhausted slumber on the floor of his drawing room that Albus said the words Minerva had come to hear.

"I love you Minerva." he said softly as he kissed her shoulder. It was the last thing she heard before she fell asleep in Albus's arms.

authors note.

Just so everyone knows this story doesn't center on Albus and Minerva, you'll see what I mean next chapter. Have fun reading and review.!!


	2. Chapter 1

Albus Dumbledore arrived silently in the uniform neighborhood of Privet Drive. Looking around he shuddered a bit at the normality of it. He loved bright colors and interesting designs living in such a place wound be sure to have a maddening effect on him.

He walked up to the house that looked like every other house on the street with the sole exception of the number in front of the house being a plain number four. It was with a suspicious eye that he looked around and extended his senses. He could feel someone watching him and as Alastair always said "Constant Vigilance" and what not.

That's why he nearly had a heart attack when he turned around to make sure no one was behind him only to come face to face with his wife.

"AHHH" he screamed in a high pitch and undignified voice. Thus causing the offending witch to chuckle lightly at her husbands reaction. Albus glared at her and tried to give her the "evil eye" only to have it fail spectacularly. He could never truly be angry with her, she held his heart.

"Have you ever thought of singing professionally Albus?" she asked in a sweet voice. "You have such a lovely voice."

Albus huffed immaturely and renewed his attempted glaring at her. Minerva only rolled her eyes at her husbands childish behavior before her face turned serious again.

"Albus why are you here?" she asked careful not to give anything away by her tone.

Albus's face lost his playfully accusatory look and turned slightly guilty. "I could ask you the same." he replied well aware that it wasn't what his wife wanted to hear.

Minerva glared at his in a way that made Albus's knee shake but he hid his fears well. Albus relented and decided to save himself from an argument that he was never going to win.

He sighed resignedly. "This is the home of Lily's sister, Harry's aunt. Now that Lily and James have... passed" he struggled a bit at that part and tears came to Minerva's eyes. "they are Harry's only remaining family. It is the safest place for him because of the blood protection Lily left with little Harry when she sacrificed herself to save him."

Minerva seemed to grow taller as she became more and more angry. "No" she said flatly in a voice that left no room for consideration.

"But, love, it's safest for-" Albus started timidly.

"Those people are horrible." she hissed. "I've nothing against muggles in, but these people could never raise a magical child. The child spent half the after noon screaming for sweets and being pampered by his mother. Not to mention the fact that Lily's sister has hated Lily since she got her Hogwarts letter because she was 'freakish' and 'unnatural'."

Albus had his mouth open by the end of his wife's rant. He hadn't known that Lily's sister felt that way. It was slightly unnerving. "How can you be sure?" he asked even though he now had a suspicion that his wife was right, seeing as she was barely ever wrong before. "And what would become of the boy he needs protection?" he asked as an after thought.

Minerva stared at him like he was a student who was being particularly thick headed. "Albus, I love you I truly do, but you're an idiot." Albus glared at her darkly even though he knew she was probably right. "We ask." she said simply.

You could almost see the light bulb flash on over his head as he finally understood the simple answer to Minerva question. 'Merlin I'm and idiot' he thought to himself. Though he'd never let his wife hear that. He'd never live it down.

"I knew there was a reason I married you. "He said, Minerva glared. "Outside of your breath taking beauty of course." Albus added hastily seeing the looks he was receiving.

"Good boy Albus." She said to then walked passed him to the door to knock, but not before patting him on the head like some sort of dog.

Albus looked affronted as he swiveled and walked the short walk to where his wife was standing waiting for someone to answer the door.

"I'm not some sort of animal, Minerva." he said with a pout.

"Of course you aren't dear." she placated him while trying her hardest not to smile.

He would have argued some more but a light inside the house turned on causing his mood to change quickly.

"Oh goodly their home." he said happily as he gave his hands a little clap completely forgetting the previous conversation.

"Albus" Minerva said cautiously as she started to notice that her husband hadn't acted right all evening. "When was the last time you slept?" she asked.

"Hmmm" Albus thought. "I took a nap on Wednesday." he answered proudly.

"Merlin Albus its Saturday, no Sunday. You need to sleep. I don't care if the minister or Merlin himself needs to see you about an important meeting, you'll kill yourself if you keep this up."

Albus looked somewhat sheepish but other wise serious. "I couldn't sleep when people needed me, you know me. But I promise I'll go to sleep tonight as soon as we get this Harry situation is settled." he said with tired but honest eyes and a small smile.

Minerva would have answered but the door swung open upruptly. She immediately tried to smile but it quickly turned into a grimace as she saw the man who opened the door. He was the biggest man she'd ever seen. His body took up the entire doorframe preventing them from seeing anything about the house.

Minerva wondered privately how he put his shoes on or if he could she his feet. She shivered and could feel the bile rising in her throat as her train of thought led to more disturbing images. To free herself of her mental torment she pictured her husband without a shirt on. Her smile became less forced as the picture in her minds eyes freed her of her imagination.

"Mr. Dursley, I presume.?" Albus asked when his wife didn't speak.

"Yes" the obese man said gruffly as he stared at them with unconcealed dislike and annoyance.

"My name is Albus Dumbledore and this is my colleague Minerva Mcgonagall. We've come to speak with your wife about her sister."

Albus suddenly found himself starring with fascination at how fast the mans face was changing colors. 'that's not normal' he thought to himself as Vernon Dursley turned an ugly puce color. Minerva was obviously thinking the same thing because her head was tilted to the side and her eyes were wide.

"Your one of those FREAKS." he loud enough to wake the entire block. "We want nothing to do with your lot." He sneered in a poor intimidation effort then slammed the door.

"Well that went well. What a lovely man." Minerva said dryly.

Albus snickered a little the turned to his wife. "Did you see his face?" he asked. "Can we knock again I wonder if he'll pop?" he asked and had unconsciously sounded like a giddy five year old.

Minerva choked a bit and had to reach out and grab Albus's hand to stop him from knocking again to test his theory. "Down boy" she said sternly.

Albus glared but his already frightening short attention span was drawn away from his wife as he heard the loud rumble of a motorcycle coming from above.

His face lit up. "That must be Hagrid and Harry." he said with a look of excitement.

Minerva stared at him in disbelief. "You gave Harry, a one year old child to Hagrid for safe keeping." she asked.

"Of course." he answered off handedly. "I trust Hagrid with my life." Minerva gave it up for a bad job and mumbled something unflattering about barmy men who need to listen to their wives'.

Minerva starred in disbelief as a motorcycle literally was flying towards the coming lower and lower. Her mouth dropped open some point before the bike landed. Was it even possible for a flying motorcycle to carry Hagrid. The man, no offence, was huge.

"I want one of those" Albus breathed beside her as the bike came closer.

"Not over my dead rotting corps." she snapped. She put up enough with Albus. No way in hell was she going to give him an excuse to hurt himself and the people around him.

Albus didn't have time to pout because the bike skidded to a halt right in front of them, spitting up some of the Dursleys perfect lawn in the process.

"Brilliant." he said as Hagrid turned the bike off and dismounted while trying not to startle the sleeping child. Minerva mentally groaned because she knew she was going to have to stop Albus from buying a bike like that at least a dozen or so times before he gave up.

"Ello Professor." Hagrid said

"Hello Hagrid" Albus said brightly. Hagrid stared at him strangely before passing it off as a powerful wizard quirk. Minerva looked upward and pray for the strength to not snap.

"How is young Harry. " Albus asked as he walked forward and plucked the child out of Hagrids massive arms.

"Fine sir." Hagrids said as Albus held the child expertly while bouncing a little to keep the child sleeping. A light bulb went off in Minerva's head as an idea struck her. She knew exactly where Harry could live safely.

"Good good." Albus murmured. It was after Albus was finally sure Harry was alright when Hagrid left on the noisy motorcycle.

Albus turned to his wife. "Where do you propose we put him." He asked looking for some kind of idea. His brain was foggy to the point where he felt like he had drunken massive amounts of fire wiskey.

"Home. We should take him home with us. We can keep him safe with us at Hogwarts and the children would love to have a new brother." Minerva said passionately.

"That's.. a good idea." Albus aid slowly. "We could raise him as our own and tell him about all of this when he got older." a huge genuine smile broke his face as he looked from his wife to the baby in his arms. "Minerva my goddess you are a genius"

"Did you expect any less." Minerva stated with a small smile.

"Never." Albus protested then leaned over and gave his wife a small kiss on the lips. "Lets go home love." he said and a few moments later they both disappeared to their summer home.

And so it was decided that little Harry Potter child savior of the world would live with the most powerful witch and wizard of the generation. One could only guess how this would effect him.


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I tried, I did but J.K. doesn't share.

Harry Potter grew up in secrecy with a large loving family. Their were his parents Minerva Mcgonagall and Albus Dumbledore. His older brother Nathan, who was three years older than him, though despite the age difference they were as close as the twins. Then there were the twins themselves Evan and Elizabeth, who were seven years older than him.

During the school year Nathan, the twins and Harry lived at Hogwarts with their parents and their nanny Madame Murphy. The twins being eight years old had started their primary education three years ago through the use of a private tutor who came to the school in the morning and left in the after noon. He was of course sworn to secrecy through the use of an unbreakable vow. None of the Dumbledore children could go to Hogwarts as students, except for Harry who had to because he was also the boy-who-lived, because the world couldn't know who their parents were. It would give them a lot of enemy's and their parents a lot of problems. They all would understand this in time but that didn't mean that they liked it.

Every day after classes Albus and Minerva would come to the wing of the castle they had claimed as their own and spend time with their children. The family literally had an entire tower to themselves. Albus Dumbledore had asked Hogwarts for somewhere to raise his children privately and he had received.

There were seven bed rooms. One master bedroom for Albus and Minerva, and a room for each Harry, Nathan, Evan, and Elizabeth. Though the twins usually slept in the same room, unless they were mad at each other which rarely happened. Then of course there was a room for Madame Murphy who spent the week living in the rooms and then went home for the weekends leaving Albus and Minerva in charge. The last bedroom was a guest room for any visitor they might have, though it was rarely used.

There were also playrooms, dinning areas, a room full of musical instruments, and another full of canvases and paints. Minerva loved to paint and was quite good. There was also a court yard that was magically hidden away from the rest of the school that allowed the children to play outside without having to be careful of who was watching them. Then there were him and her studies for Albus and Minerva to do paper work in, each was connceted to their offices for easily access .

When summer would come the family would go to a cottage on the French shore or they would go either to the Mcgonagall family manor or the Dumbledore family estate. Neither Albus or Minerva had touched any of the Potter family holdings, it was mutually decided that they would leave them as they were until Harry came of age and claimed them.

Elizabeth was the oldest child beating her brother by three full minutes. Her full name is Elizabeth Athena Anne Mcgonagal-Dumbledore. She is a very studious child and takes her duties as oldest very seriously. She 's the responsible one who always tries to look grown up in front of everyone. She also has a strict sense of right and wrong. Albus always says she's exactly like her mother had been and is. She's tall for her age like all the other children are and has aristocratic features carried on from her mother. Her hair is long, wavy, and a deep auburn color, a few shades darker than Albus's was when he was young. She has her mothers dark green eyes and her fathers slightly more olive toned skin. Even as a child she was already showing signs of being very beautiful.

Her twin Evan was the opposite of her despite them being twins. His full name is Evan Ares Mathew McGonangall-Dumbledore. He's a trouble maker who lives to play pranks and tell jokes. One of his foremost joys in life come from making people laugh. He is the one his sister always has to try and keep out of trouble. He also has a deep set of virtue's that always keep him from passing the thin line between fun and cruelness. Being kind and helpful is ingrained in his DNA. He's one of those people who would give away everything he had to make someone else happy. He's the same height as Elizabeth but in looks they are as opposite as their attitudes. Not to say Elizabeth is cruel but she is more self preservative then her brother. Evan too has the aristocratic features of his mother but that was it in similarities. His hair is inky black, thick and curled at the ends. Minerva's color with Albus's style. He also has his fathers cornflower blue eyes, though his don't twinkle like his fathers. And despite all of the time he spends in the sun his skin remains the same flawless ivory his mother bares. The thing that is most notable about Evan is the fact that he is always smiling.

Nathan, called Nate by the family, is a carbon copy of Albus. His full name is Nathan Apollo Nicolas McGonagall-Dumbledore. He has longish auburn hair that falls down bellow his ears and curls at the very end like Evans. His eyes are the exact same shade as his father though they too didn't twinkle. He was tall for his age and stood proud but not arrogantly. His curiosity was already very well known even though he was still very young. Every day he would asked question after question driving Madam Murphy to the brink of insanity. He wanted to know why things worked and what happened if you put certain things together. Everyone had already pegged him as a scholar. He was already reading small books with the help of Elizabeth and sometimes Evan by the young age of four.

Harry and Nate are the closest siblings followed by Elizabeth and Evan. Nate took it as his personal responsibility to look after Harry and since Elizabeth was increasingly busy with keeping Evan out of trouble it was easy for him to become the older brother. He would read to Harry with his limited skills, play with him, and try and teach him all the things he already knew. By the end of Harry's first month at Hogwarts Nathan had already firmly established that he would be taking care of teaching Harry everything he knew even if it was clear that Harry was to young to understand what Nathan was trying to teach him.

When Harry was eight Elizabeth and Evan took their Owls and left home, for the first time without either Albus, Minerva or Madame Murphy, to study for their Newts. They would be out in the world learning form different mentors and masters Monday thru Friday and then they would come home every Friday night to spend the weekend with the family.

This was also the year Nathan started learning magic. Which left little Harry with many hours without his siblings and with nothing to do. This development led to Harry getting martial arts lessons in London. Something that Harry loved to do and was quite good at. Martial arts of course led to all sorts of other sports that Nathan would occasionally join in. Harry had for the last three years before Hogwarts become a little jock. Every week day he had some sport to attend after his primary lessons, but the week end was strictly family time.

During his last summer before Hogwarts the family spent two months of their vacation down in the cottage by the shore. At first Harry was disappointed because their weren't many sports he could play. That was until he discovered the art of surfing at the local village. It was something he would come to love and get better at as time went by.

Harry himself grew up into a smart, polite, and privileged, young lad. All of the children were smart Nathan especially so but Harry excelled in practical magic and history. He would in his spare time, with the help of Nathan, nick history books from his parents studies so he could read and retain all the knowledge he could. For hours he would loose himself in the tails of magical battles and the brave wizards who fought in them. He'd been awestruck when he read about his fathers defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald. He was well above first year knowledge and could probably take his OWL's.

Albus and Minerva had decided before they had ever had any children that they would not to lie to any of them if it was in their capability. As a direct result of this Harry grew up knowing that Albus and Minerva weren't his birth parents, but his adopted ones, through the use of a blood ritual. He also knew he was the wizarding worlds hero because he had survived the worlds worst and most unforgivable curse when he was only a year old. He would sit for hours at a time and listen to his parents tell stories about his birth parents and he had even saw Lily and James' wedding in his fathers pensieve.

The year before Harry was due to enter Hogwarts the twins turned seventeen. They took their Newts and passed with thirteen each, something very good and not easily attainable. Elizabeth entered an apprenticeship as a Healer at St. Mungo's. Evan on the other hand was recruited by the London Lions Quiditch team as a reserve chaser. He knew he couldn't play quiditch his entire life so he was also doing a extended training program with the aurors.

The twins absence, if possible, made Harry and Nathan even closer than before. Now it was only them, their parents, and Madame Murphy. Though she would be leaving the summer before Harry went into Hogwarts.

Everyday after they woke up Nathan and Harry would help Madame Murphy make breakfast for everyone, Evan was in charge of the toast while Harry got the juice and silver wear. Madame Murphy had taught the children all how to cook, she said it was a skill everyone needed to know. They would eat with their parents until it was time for them to go make their appearance in the Great Hall. After breakfast Nate would rush off to his lessons and Harry would floo over to a magical book store that was only a block away from the sports complex that he played at. His dad had made special arrangements with the manager for Harry to use the floo twice a day.

From there he would either go to martial arts lessons or go to soccer practice. When his practice was over he would usually play games with some of his friends that came there for a while before leaving to go home. Most of his muggle friends thought that he lived with a strick old aunt who sent him to the complex to keep out of trouble. Which worked out well because he could never bring any of them over to his house though he would occasionally go to theirs.

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Sorry about the delay. School just started and I'm already feeling the pressue. Who ever convinced me to take honors chemestry, pre calculus, physics and ap english all during my junior year has my deepest contempt.

I should be updating every weekend as long as I don't have any projects or papers.

Review me and tell me if you like it or not. I'm new at this and I know I'm not the best writer any tips you could offer would be great.


	4. Chapter 3

Harry woke up slowly. He'd been up late last night. The school year was finally over and the Family had migrated over to the Dumbledore estate for the first few weeks of summer. The twins had come home last night after dinner and spent hours telling stories about their new jobs and how their training was going. Evan's stories about training with the Lions were especially exciting to hear. He'd even managed to get permisson from his coach to allow Harry and Nathan to come for a training session over the summer.

Everyone went to bed late last night. It had been a longer time than usual for the family to be apart and it took some time to fill everyone in on what has been happening. Letters were great for telling facts but it was better to hear the stories in person.

Harry smiled as he got out of bed. He'd missed everyone, and it felt good to have everyone together again. Filled with excitement he hurriedly got dressed in khaki shorts and a long sleeve dark blue shirt. He grabbed a pair of socks and rushed out of his room.

The house was rather large. If you could even call it a house, it had over fifty bedrooms. Though most of them were never really used. When the family came to this estate they always stayed in the east wing because it was designed by Albus and Minerva to be the perfect size for the family. It had everything a regular house had. When they did venture out into the rest of the house it was usually to play tag or hid and seek. His dad always smiled when they ran through the house laughing. He would say something about his ancestors rolling in their graves at the sight of his unmannerly children. This explained why the portrait in the house always yelled or sneered at them.

The Mcgonagall Manor was only slightly smaller but it's grounds were absolutely huge, not to mention beautiful. His mothers family had owned something like twenty thousand acers of mountain land in the Scotland hills that his mother had inherited from her father. His mum always brought them there for a few weeks during the summer because it was the perfect place to fly at and do some outdoor activity at. Something everyone in the family loved to do. Even Minerva would mount her broom and play chaser for a while. She had been a brilliant chaser during her school days, it's where Evan got his talent from.

There weren't any rude portraits in this section of the hall so Harry ran down the hall with no regard. He came into the kitchen skidding to a halt with a big grin on his face. Minerva was standing by the stove flipping some pancakes and Albus was sitting at the table reading the morning paper. They had completely dropped the acts they played at school so now they looked completely different than they did to the rest of the world.

Minerva was dressed in soft blue pajama pants and a black tang top. Her hair was in a messy bun that her student wouldn't believe her capable of and she was barefoot reveling red painted toenails. She'd ditched her glasses and had a soft look of contentment on her face that she wore when she was home. Normally everyone in the wizarding world saw her as the strict task master, instead of the loving kind woman she was. Though that was the picture she had painted for them to see.

Albus had lost the beard and a lot of the wrinkles that were normally on his face. He now looked no older than forty. Something his students would never believe him capable of. He too was still dressed in his pajama. He had dark blue pants on with little silver stars and moons decorating them and a plain black t-shirt that reveled his toned chest and arms. Right now he was only Albus Dumbledore family man extraordinaire not the wizarding worlds hero. It was how Harry liked him best.

"Morning Mum, Dad" he chirped happily as he went over to give his mum a kiss good morning. Something he'd been doing as long as he could remember.

"Good morning Harry." she said as she kissed his forehead. "Are you hungry dear?" Harry just gave her a look that said 'I'm and ten year old boy what do you think?' Minerva rolled her eyes. "Go sit down breakfast will be done in a few minutes."

Harry nodded and eagerly complied. He went to go sit next to his father who was still reading the paper.

"Good morning Harry." he said without looking up, but he did hand Harry the comic section of the paper. This was their morning ritual.

Five minutes later Minerva came to the table floating a big plate of pancakes, sausage, and bacon. "Harry dear could you grab the orange juice and three glasses."

"Sure" he said as he folded his newspaper. It wasn't until he was grabbing the glasses that he realized the problem. "Mum" he said as he was walking back to the table.

"Hmm?" she hummed while putting a stack of pancakes on his plate.

"Where is everyone?" he asked as he sat down after giving everyone a glass.

"Its's a weekday so Evan and Lizzy are at work." Albus answered.

"Well where's Nate." he asked. "He doesn't have a job and his schooling's done for the summer" Harry pointed out while he cut into his food.

"Nathan's taking an advanced placement test to see if he could possibly take the Owl's a year early." Minerva said with pride lacing her voice.

"Why would he want to take the Owls early?" Harry asked after swallowing a particularly big bite.

"He decided to try because if he takes them over the summer then he could go abroad early. This way he wont be left alone when you go off to Hogwarts next year." she answered.

"Oh" was all he said. It made since to him, because even though they would be in the same building he wouldn't be able to disappear every day to go spend time with him. People would be suspicious and they couldn't have that. Sometime having famous parents and being famous sucked. He thought to himself.

"Harry" Albus said breaking his line of thought.

"Yeah dad." he said.

"Do you remember that we told you, that you have an aunt on your birth mother's side still alive?" he said slowly almost as if gagging Harry's reaction.

"Yeah her name was uh, Petunia right?" Harry said.

"Yes" Albus said. "Your mother and I have decided that you're old enough to make some of your own choices which is why we wanted to ask you if you'd like to meet her and her family."

Harry thought about it. He knew that his aunt was a muggle and that she had one son as far as his parents knew, and was married. That was the extent of his knowledge. His parents never really talked about his real mum's muggle family. 'They are my family' he thought to himself so he should at least meet them once. What harm could they cause.

"I'd like to meet them yeah. I mean I am related to them so it's only right to get to know them." Harry answered completely oblivious to his parents distasteful looks.

"Of course Harry." Minerva said. "We'll be leaving in an hour." she said.

Harry's eyes widened. "An hour" he repeated only much louder. "that's barely any time at all."

He rushed out of the room mumbling about what he was going to wear. Minerva looked at Albus with a small glare.

Albus sighed. "Min I know their horrible people but Harry has the right to know them. Like it or not their part of his family."

"I know" she said glumly as she pushed her plate away her appetite was gone. "I just don't want him to get hurt."

"He's a big lad he knows what what and he wont let some rude word by a bigoted and hateful women effect him." Albus tried to reassure her. Then he reached out and took her abandon plate of pancakes and started eating gain, his own plate cleaned. Minerva only rolled her eyes used to the large stomachs of the men in her family.

An hour and ten minutes later Harry had finally found the perfect outfit to meet his aunt in. He was wearing some of his best muggle clothes. He wore a pair of expensive black slacks with matching black dress shoes. He had a soft grey button up shirt that had black stitching, and a matching black dress jacket. His mother had told him he looked handsome but it didn't ease hid nerves. He would be meeting his some more of his family soon.

His mom was wearing a simple black dress with heals. Even Harry being the clueless almost eleven year old boy that he was could see that his mother was very beautiful without even trying. His dad was wearing a new pair of khaki pants and shirt like Harry's, only his was light blue with tan stitching. Harry thought that they all looked dashing.

"How are we getting there?" Harry asked as he bounced on the heals of his dragon hide dress shoes. You could only tell they weren't muggle leather if you looked really close and knew what to look for.

"We're going to take the car." Albus answered with a small grin.

"Really?" Harry asked. The car they had looked like a normal muggle car on the outside, but on the inside it was nearly three times as big. It was also charmed so that it drove it self while making it look like you had a driver. But the coolest thing was that it drove like the night bus so they would only have to drive through the town they were going to. It would save them hours of driving. The ministry had given Albus the car so that when he went to meet the muggle Prime Minister he could look completely normal. The family used it when ever they went to the muggle world for day trips and the like.

"Yes really." Albus answered with a grin. The trio walked through the house maze of a house until the came to a room Harry loved. The garage. His dad had all sorts of gadgets in here. There was a little sports car that'd he'd ridden in once a motorcycle that his mother had forbidden him from ever riding. The sleak black Roles Royce was parked in the center of the garage and was what they would be driving in today.

On the other side were all the things the kids were allowed to touch. They each a dirt bike that they were allowed to ride under adult supervision. There was also a two seater go cart that Harry and Nathan always brought to Scotland with them so that they could explore the mountain sides. Needless to say everything with a motor was riddled with more safety charms then they could count. Then of course there were regular bikes, roller blades, a few skate boards of Harry's, there was also and assortment of balls and sports equipment.

Before he got in the car he grabbed a squishy ball that would keep him busy for the duration of the car ride. Harry spent the car trip bouncing the ball back and forth with his father. His mother tried to look disapproving but she too found the humor in the game after she saw the ball hit Albus right in the forehead after he attempted to catch it. Dispite being a champian dueler his father had horrible hand eye coordination

Thirty minutes after getting in the car it pulled to a stop in front of a plain looking house that made both him and his father bulk at the boringness that practically seeped from it. There were a few people outside, but no one from Number four. The thing that unnerved Harry was that we all staring at him and his parents as they exited the car.

"Just ignore them." his mother said loud enough for only him to hear. Harry nodded but still felt a little unnerved at the looks they were getting. They couldn't know they were magical they looked completely muggle. Did he have something on his face, or maybe a giant flashing sign above his head.

"It's the car." his dad whispered. "It's a very expensive car, very sought after."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. They were staring at them because they had an expensive car, wow, they had no lives. He was suddenly very glad he hadn't grown up here. They had reached the door and the neighbors were still staring.

They all stood there for a moment staring at the door before Minerva and all of her infamous Gryffindor curage and knocked on the door of some of the most horrid people she had ever had the displeasure of knowing.

Harry flattened his hair nervously as they waited for someone to answer the door. The door opened apruptly letting the trio, and the neighbors, see a extremely large boy with blonde hair and no neck. Harry smiled nervously and decided that since this was his family he would be the one speaking.

"Hi, my names Harry, Harry Potter. I'm here to speak with Petunia Dursley. She was my mother sister." He said with all the confidence he could muster and was rather proud of himself that his voice didn't break once.

The boy gave him a look of 'who cares' before turning around. "MUM" he yelled in a high pitched whinny voice making everyone cringe. "There's someone at the door for you. MUM"

Harry blinked at the boys rudeness. He'd never done that. He would never do that, because if he did he'd be punished for sure. He also wouldn't do that because it was rude and disrespectful.

Harry glanced at his father and saw he had the same distasteful look on his face. His mother had only raised an eyebrow at the entire scene. Apparently she had expected no better.

A few tense minute later, that were spent by both parties observing each other, a tall blonde horse faced looking woman came to the door. Her already sour expression turned to one of utmost loathing as she saw her visitors.

"What" she snarled as she pushed her son protectively behind her. "Do you want?"

Harry's first instinct was to take a step back, but pushing his fears aside he spoke. "My name is Harry Potter. I've been told that you were my mother sister. I've come to meet you because we're family." He said the word family like it was something sacrad.

The woman's eyes got cold and she glared at the boy. "Family." she snarled. "Your mother was a freak who dissevered everything she got. Our parents were so proud to have a witch in the family, but I could see through it. She was nothing but a freak who should have died before she had the chance to reproduce. You are no family of mine ."Petunia finished coldly in a voice low enough that the neighbors didn't hear anything.

Harry's eyes stung at his aunts cold words. She was his birth mother's sister didn't that couldn't for something "But..." he stuttered. "We're family." Albus put a hand on his shoulder to steer him away but Harry shrugged it off. There must have been some mistake. They had the same blood running through their veins. It had to count for something.

"No. We. Are. Not." she screamed and then did something extremely stupid. She slapped him. She slapped him hard enough to make him fall to the ground and make blood run from his lip.

For a moment everyone stared, even the neighbors who had been watching the conversation with reverence. Petunia had a look of triumph on her narrow face and the boy, Dudley looked gleeful at the sight of someone else's suffering. Harry looked heart broken, and distressed from the spot on the ground he had landed on.

Something inside Minerva snapped when she saw her youngest sons confused and glazed eyes. Her green eyes flashed in warning a split second before she lashed out. Pulling back her arm like her husband had taught her years and years ago she punched the woman whom she now loathed even more than Voldemort right in the nose.

Petunia fell to the ground with blood gushing from her nose it was broken and probably wouldn't ever look straigh again. Albus looked at Minerva in surprise before going to pick up their son from where he was still sitting shocked. Minerva and Albus glared at Petunia once more before stalking back to the car, not caring about the whispers following them.

Harry clung to his father as if his life depended on it. He was so confused. How could his own family reject him like that. He'd never been rejected. He was always polite and a nice boy. How come she didn't like him? Was it something he said? It just wasn't fair.

Once they were settle din the car Albus tried to pry the distressed boy from his chest but Harry had other plans and just clung to him even more.

"Harry dear." Minerva said softly as she stroked his hair. "That woman had no right to say those things to you. She jealous and bitter. Don't let her words cause you this much pain."

"Why though?" he asked in a muffled voice from his father chest.

"Your mother was everything Petunia wasn't." His father answered for him. "She was beautiful, smart, funny, well like by everyone, and she also had this amazing ability to perform magic. Petunia was jealous that your mother because she was the apple of their parents eyes. And when your mother was accepted into Hogwarts it only got worse and then in your mothers seventh year her parents, your grandparents, were killed by death eaters in an attack on their home. Causing Petunia to hate magic even more and in turn she hated Lily because she'd brought magic into their otherwise 'normal' lives."

Harry pulled out of his fathers arms but still remained in his lap. "It doesn't make sense to hate something you don't understand though. If she hates magic like you said because of death eater, then she's never seen the good stuff it can do."

"Which" Albus said. "Is the root of the problem. She doesn't want to see the good, she only see's the bad. She wont allow herself to see the good because it would mean admitting that her sister, your mother, wasn't as bad and 'freakish' as she thinks she is. She doesn't want to admit she was wrong so she just ignores it and automatically hates anything to do with her sister, magic and you included. "

Harry's forehead was furrowed as he tried to make sense of what his father had just told him. His aunt hated magic so in turn she hated him, because she didn't want to have to admit that she had been wrong years and years ago when she was young.

"Dad?" Harry said

"Yes Harry."

"That sound like a horrible way to live." Harry said.

"And you are right my boy." Albus answered.

The rest of the short trip home passed in relative silence.

The car pulled up the unpaved road to their manor with smoothly, another bonus of having magical charms on your car. The trio piled out of the car with Harry chatting with his father .

"There's no chance the Lions won't win. Now that Evans on the team they'll go all the way. " Harry was telling his father who was agreeing with his son more out support for his son more than actual belief. He was a tornadoes fan.

"Of course they will. Evan will their star player by next year." Albus said with a grin to his wife. Minerva rolled her eyes.

"Dad?" Harry asked when they were out of the garage and in the house heading towards their rooms.

Albus looked at his suspiciously. His son only ever looked that innocent when we wanted something.

"What do you want?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

Harry faced turned to one of affrontation. "Who said I wanted anything?" he replied in a mock hurt tone.

Albus stopped walking and looked at his son sadly. "Harry, Harry, Harry, I have been a father for almost eight teen years and have raised four children. I know every little trick you monsters try." he said in a voice that was almost a lecture.

Minerva snorted unladylike like from behind Albus.

Harry out on his best sad and innocent face. "Mum" he said "Did you hear what he just called us. Us your children, flesh and blood and all that rot. Don't you think you should do something about it.?"

Minerva sighed sadly. "I'm sorry Harry but I can not do any thing he speaks the truth. You're all little monsters."

Harry's face fell and he looked seriously hurt, his eyes even watered a little. "You.. you really think that?" he asked in a small voice that shook.

Albus immediately dropped the teasing and dropped to his knees before Harry and pulled him into a hug. "No of course not." he said hurriedly.

"How...How can I believe you?" Harry asked in the same shaky voice.

"What would I have to do to prove it to you. I'll do anything." Albus said in a concerned voice.

Harry pulled back from the hug with a small smirk in his face, Albus's face dropped comically. He knew he'd been duped. Minerva laughed in the back ground having know the whole thing was farce in the first place.

"Weeeell" Harry said with big laughing eyes. "I would really feel the love if you would let me take the four wheeler out for a drive by myself."

Albus's mouth dropped open. "That was shameless." he exclaimed. Harry just grinned and looked at him with those sparkling green eyes that seemed to say 'you promised'. Albus tried to frown disapprovingly but couldn't quite manage it. He sighed. "Very well you can take the four wheeler out."

Harry punched the air and let out a whoop of jubilation. "Thank you" he said as he hugged his father. This being the first time he would be allowed to go out on his own.

"Drive safe and remember your helmet." he said in a stern voice as he stood up.

Harry yelled his assurances that he would be safe as he ran to his room to get changed into his riding clothes.

Albus turned to Minerva who looked torn between humor and worry. "Don't worry love, he'll be fine. He knows not to do anything dangerous." Albus assured her.

"I know" she said with a sigh. "but I'm his mother I'm allowed to worry."

"Of course you are love." he said. Then his face adopted a smirk that looked remarkably similar to that of his son's. He stepped closer to her so they were nearly touching. "I needed some alone time with my wife so this fits perfectly into my plan."

Minerva raised one of her perfectly manicured eyebrows. "And why would you need that love." she said coyly.

Albus cupped her cheek in his hand. "Have I told you how incredibly sexy you are when your angry." he said as he moved his mouth closer to Minerva.

"No I don't believe you have." Minerva breathed lightly recognizing the darkening lust burning in her husbands eyes.

"I find in incredibly sexy." He said softly before he kissed her passionately. Minerva responded in kind and kissed her husband with a yearning.

They broke the kiss and stared at each other breathlessly with the same dark passions burning in their eyes. Albus feeling a little mischievous bent down and scooped up his wife, threw her over his shoulder, and carried her to their bedroom. Her laughter and the yelling of the portraits followed them all the way. Somehow Minerva forgot to worry about her youngest son for the next few hours.

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Well heres the third chapter. Tell me what you think.

I should update the bigning of next week. School started but nothing important had happened yet.


	5. Chapter 4

Oh wow, I copletely forgot my disclaimer on all my previous chapters. If anyone knows how to edit a chapter I'd be much obliged.

I sadly do not nor have I ever owned the Harry Potter series. It all belongs to J.K. and believe me she wont give it up.

The rest of the last summer before Harry went to Hogwarts could only be described as some of the happiest times in Harry's life. Every day he would wake up and have breakfast with his entire family. The twins would leave to go to their respective jobs. Then he and Nate would usually go out plot and play till lunch. Then after lunch with Nate and his parents he and Nate would go to the garage and the fun would really start.

They had discovered early on in the summer the muggle sport of bmx, which was popular in the United States, and motor cross. Since Nate could use magic year round because of his tutoring he created jumps and half-pipes for their dirt bikes and bmx bikes respectively. They weren't good yet but they had managed to avoid any broken bones or serious injuries. Though the numbers of scrapped knee's and elbows was at an all time high.

The first time they had showed their mother their new skills she had shrieked and then fainted. Albus would have caught her but he was too busy staring in awe at what his sons were doing. He'd been joining them with their ridding ever since, he would never do jumps or tricks that they did but he would let them know if he spotted them doing something wrong that he could see. Minerva had been a bit harder to persuaded but she'd eventually let up and now she would watch them from afar with an array of medical supplies.

When they showed the twins the new sport Lizzy started ranting about them having a death wish and Evan, surprisingly stayed away too. Though for an entirely different reason. He couldn't afford to get hurt or his Quiditch coach would kill him, while Lizzy who had been working in St.Mungo's was now all the more aware of how easily they could be hurt.

They then spent three weeks down in their cottage in France before going to the Mcgonagall family manor for the last month of summer. During that time Nate buckled down and started to study for the OWL's. Which he would be taking a week before the Hogwarts term started.

Nate enlisted Harry to help him study, their mum had refused to let them ruin the beautiful grounds by building jumps so he had nothing better to do. Nate would make Harry read questions from a practice test and he would try and answer the question fully with out looking at his notes. This as a result taught Harry some things he wouldn't have other wise learned for a few years.

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It was August the thirty first, the day before the new Hogwarts term started and only Albus, Minerva, and Harry were left in the Mcgonagall Manor.

The twins had recently moved into a flat in downtown London that there parents had purchased. They would share it for the duration of thier schooling. Harry had visited it the other day and couldn't help but be a bit envious of the twins. Albus and Minerva had paid for it, so it was of course in the best neighborhood and had a great view. If that wasn't enough they'd gone over board and lavished it with more things than the twins would know what to do with. His mum had cried something about her babies being all grown up. Albus almost had to carry her out of the flat. The twins had been embarrassed because Albus had had to carry Minerva out past some of their new neighbors. Harry had thought the entire thing was hilarious. Though by the looks Evan was giving him he would regret laughing later.

Nate had taken his OWL's and had gotten a family record of twenty six OWL's. The only thing he hadn't gotten and 'O' on was divination. He claimed he did it on purpose to make their mother feel better. That ment he would start his NEWT training abroad a year earlier than the twins had. He'd also decided he would take his NEWT's by the time he was sixteen instead of the normal eight-teen. The only down side of that was that he would only be able to come home one weekend every month. Something which left Harry depressed, but he'd been reasoned with that he couldn't disappear every weekend without someone noticing. Nate had left to go introduce himself to his Defense master two days ago and Harry already felt as if been away forever.

With everyone gone Albus and Minerva decided that they would stay in to night with Harry and have a quiet evening to themselves before they returned to Hogwarts.

Harry was sitting in his room on the floor in front of his trunk, not knowing what to do now that he was packed. He knew tomorrow would start a new chapter of his life and he was afraid.

He had a trunk with three compartments, his dad had said no one ever had enough room in the normal one compartment trunks. The first compartment was strictly for his school supplies. The second opened up like a wardrobe so his robes and casual wear didn't become all wrinkled, it even had a place for his shoe's. The last compartment was for all his personal things. Ironically it was the biggest. He had a skate board, roller blades, an assortment of balls, his soccer equipment, games of all kinds, disguised pictures of his family, a muggle cd player charmed to work in Hogwarts, his game boy also charmed, his journal, and a special journal that his dad had made for each of them.

The journal was charmed so that all he would have to do was write the persons name and then his letter and said person would then receive it. Of course it only worked if you had a journal connected to thiers, but it was a great way of keeping in contact with everybody in the family. It would also keep everyone from getting suspicious when he received almost daily owls from his brothers and sister.

He'd already packed almost everything and was debating on a few items that could give away his cover of growing up in the muggle world. He didn't want to leave behind his photo album of him with his mum and dad, or his poster signed y the London Lions, or even his the locket that he'd gotten for his sixth christmas that had the Dumbledore, Mcgonagall, and Potter crest carved onto the outside and a familt portrait inside of the locket.

It was only then that he realized how hard the next few months were going to be. His cover story was that he was raised by a squib aunt. It would explain why he knew so much about the magical world without casting suspicion on him. But he would have to act like strangers to his parents. He would see his mother and father everyday but had to act as if they were nothing more than his professors. When the reality of it was so much different.

His sighed despairingly and laid back on the floor. Truth be told he really didn't want to go to Hogwarts. He'd rather study at home and then go abroad for his NEWT's like the twins and Nate had. He also didn't want to be famous for something he didn't even remember. The idea of people watching him constantly was a little disturbing and it kind of freaked him out.

"Don't think to hard son, your brain might not be able to handle it." an amused voice said from his doorway.

Harry rolled his eyes and looked up not moving from his rather comfortable spot on the floor to see his dad leaning against the doorway. Ignoring the jab from his father Harry asked his father a serious question.

"Is it hard being famous?" he asked looking hard at his dad.

Albus sighed and walked into the room aware that his sons eyes were following him, and flopped heavily down on his bed, his face at the foot facing his son.

"I won't lie to you, it isn't always easy and it can be down right annoying at times. especially in your case seeing as you didn't ask for any fame. " Albus said equally as serious.

"But" he said in a mystical voice that made Harry smile. "If you remember this one simple rule, life will become much much easier."

There was silence for a few moments and Harry stared at him and Albus looked at the ceiling seemingly absorbed. "Well?" Harry said impatiently after a few minutes.

Albus looked at his son with a mock startled expression. "Oh you want to know the rule." he said, then he had to dodge a stray shoe that was thrown at him.

Albus looked at his son completely seriously all joking aside. "Be yourself Harry. Don't let anything anyone says to you bother you. Don't pretend to be something your not for everyone else. Don't try and please everyone. Believe me it can't be done, you'll just ware yourself down and loose yourself. I want you to act however you want. If you want to become a prankster do it, if you decided to be a Ravenclaw be my guest. I want you to do what makes you happy, nothing more nothing less. "

Harry looked at his dad and heard the truth in his words. "Is that why you act the way you do?" he asked his dad. "You know crazy and the like." he added with a grin.

"Partly." Albus answered with a grin. "But there are also two more reasons." Albus cleared his throat and sat up importantly on the bed. "Firstly" he said with an important air. "I act the part of crazy old man with a fondness of bright colors and candy, because the expressions on people faces leave me with endless amusement." Harry actually gaped at his father. He always knew his dad wasn't all there this just proved it. "And most importantly." he said with a small grin. " I do to save all of the young ladies who your mother would hex into obliteration if they were found out to be fond of me. Something that is hard to not become." he finished arrogantly.

By the time his dad had finished his explanation Harry was holding his stomach in laughter. Albus joined him shortly and it was only when the smell of food wafted into the room that they stopped laughing.

"Mmmmm" Albus said with a dreamy expression. "I smell chocolate." He rose from the bed and sent a look at Harry who had also been moving to the door with his nose in the air.

Harry smiled at his dad. He knew his dad had been trying to cheer him up and he was great full for it.

They arrived in the kitchen and found Minerva leaning on the counter next to the stove looking the door they entered. "I knew food would lore you in her." was all she said when they walk in the room.

Both Albus and Harry rolled their eyes used to Minerva's antics by now.

The night continued for the family and ended late when Harry fell asleep outside in the swinging chair he'd been sitting in with his mum. They'd gone outside by a small fire pit that Albus had set up to watch the stars and roast marshmallows.

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Harry woke up early the next morning from a mixture of excitement and dread. He'd be going to Hogwarts in a few hours. Quickly he got out of bed and got dressed in a mixture of wizarding and muggle clothing. He pulled on some new tailored black slacks that he'd gotten especially for this occasion. A long sleeve grey button down dress shirt that had some silvery thread mixed in it. And lastly a black acromantula silk cloak that had the Potter family crest above his left breast and silver lining. He also put his wand in a special pocket that was sewed into his slacks.

They had gone shopping for most of his school supplies in an alley in France. There was a lesser chance of being recognized as well as the better quality of clothing. The book list was the only thing they hadn't bought there, instead they had owl ordered it from Diagon alley. They had floo'd to Olivanders and had gotten his wand with minimal problems though Harry was unnerved that he had a brother wand to Voldemort. The fact that it also had a feather from Fawkes balanced the negatives out, and even he couldn't deny how right the wand had felt.

Before leaving his room he even did his hair in a way that Lizzy had showed him years ago. Something he only did on important occasions. It involved a lot of gell and ended with his hair looking stylishly messy instead of the rats nest that it normally was.

He arrived in the kitchen and found his mum and dad already sitting at the table sipping their morning tea and reading the paper.

"Good morning." He said while looking at them as if trying to memorize their features. Which he most likely was.

Both his parents looked up from where their heads where almost touching as they read an article at the sound of his voice.

"Good morning Harry" Albus said while pushing the paper away from him and out of Harry's line of sight. Something Harry didn't miss, he was a very observant child.

"You look very dashing Harry. A proper young wizard if I ever saw one." His mum commented as she patted the seat next to them for him to sit. The seat furthest away from the news paper. Harry decided he didn't want to know. It was most likely about him and his attending of Hogwarts.

"Thanks" he said with a slight blush. He'd spent hours trying to figure out what type of impression he wanted to make in the minds of the people in the magical world. It was good to know his work had paid off, but then again his mum could just be saying that out of obligation.

There was silence for a moment as everyone sat lost in thought.

"What would you like for breakfast Harry?" His mother asked kindly. She looked a little teary eyed. Harry knew his mum was always emotional when one of them left to do something new. She'd burst into random crying bouts for two days after Nate got his OWL's. Harry and Nate had been scared. He just hoped she forgot about the wizard camera.

"Blueberry pancakes?" he asked questionably. They were one of his favorites and he knew his dad loved them too.

Minerva just smiled at him and Albus winked. Half an hour later three satisfied people sat back in there chairs.

"Mum" Harry said completely seriously. "I don't know how I'm going to survive with out your cooking."

"Actually" Minerva said conversationally. "Hogwarts food is very good."

Harry raised a dubious eyebrow at that statement. His father looked at him knowingly. "I've been eating there for almost fifty years" he said sagely.

"Are you all packed yet?" his mother asked, ever the sensible one.

"Yes, I've got everything I could think of packing." Harry answered.

"Good" Minerva said. "We're not going to be able to go onto the platform with you. There is to much of a chance that we'll be recognized. We will have to leave you just before the entrance. Is that ok?"

Harry smiled weakly and nodded. It was time like these he hated having famous parents. "When do we leave?" he asked forcing some excitement into his voice. 'Children were supposed to want to go away from school' he told himself. 'He couldn't hold onto his mothers apron strings forever'

"We can either leave now and go by car or we can wait an hour and port-key ourselves there." His father answered rejoining the conversation.

Harry thought for a moment. The car or a port-key. "Can we take the car? I hate port-keys." he answered.

"I thought you'd say something to that effect." his father said with a grin.

"Why don't you go get your trunk and any last minute items and meet us in the drawing room." Minerva said.

Harry nodded and walked out of the room. The short trip to his room and back took nearly ten minutes. When he arrived in the drawing room his parents were waiting but they either didn't notice the length of time or most likely stayed quiet about it.

The trip to Kings Cross station took forty five minutes and it was spent in near silence. Harry didn't speak unless spoken to and spent most of the car ride looking out at the passing scenery, and when he was asked questions they were answered in vague one syllable words.

The car pulled up to the station and parked in front of the entrance. No one moved for a moment until Albus spoke. "We're here." he said needlessly.

That spurred them into action. Harry nodded stiffly and climbed hurriedly out of the car. Albus and Minerva shared a worried look before following his lead.

Harry smiled weakly at his mum and dad, he knew they were worried about him, he didn't want them to be. He was just nervous and he tended to block everything out when he was nervous.

"Come on Harry the entrance is this way." Albus said as he picked up his son's trunk and started to walk into the station. Minerva and Harry followed him.

Harry was looking around trying to find some sort of sign of other witches and wizards. He'd never been allowed to meet any that weren't family or close and trusted friends. Which ment he'd never met any other magical children except for his brothers and sister.

They arrived in between platform nine and ten with out attracting any attention to themselves. Harry looked around quizzically. No one had ever told him how to get on the platform and he couldn't see anything magical in nature around.

Minerva decided to end her son's confusion. "Do you see that barrier there?" she asked pointing to a plain looking brick barrier that they were currently standing ten feet away from. Harry nodded. "Its and illusion with muggle repellant charms on it. It's the guardian of the platform."

Harry blinked. He's always envisioned something more elaborate guarding the Hogwarts express. Thought the more he thought of it the more it made sense. There couldn't be something to grand or to obvious, in case the muggles started getting wise.

"Makes sense, but how do I get through to the train." he asked with a frown maring his face.

Albus grinned and answered the question. "To get in you just have to run at the wall." Harry stared at his dad trying to figure out if he was lying or not.

"He's telling the truth." Minerva reassured him with a smile.

Albus smirked slightly. "Just remember the more nervous you are the faster you should run."

Harry nodded, then took his trunk out of his fathers hands. The trunk it self was almost weight less so he didn't have to worry about carry it or anything, but he did have to worry about muggles. It would look odd if a eleven year old boy could easily carry a trunk this large while running.

"Could you um shrink my trunk, please." Harry said. "I don't want to draw attention to myself in front of the muggles."

"Oh of course dear." Minerva said while Albus looked about a bit then used a bit of wandless magic to shrink the trunk to the size of a matchbox.

Harry grinned and pocketed his now tiny trunk. There was a moment of silence before all of Harry's resolve broke and he launched himself at mum, giving her a huge hug. Minerva hugged him back tightly and let a few tears dropped from her eyes. When his mother released him he did the same for his dad.

When he pulled out of the tight embrace he felt much better about his up coming entrance to the world. "I'll see you tonight?" he half asked half said.

"Of course" Albus answered. "Now go and make some friends."

Harry smiled brightly for the first time. "Bye mum, bye dad." he said with a little wave. He turned to leave only to be stopped as his mother pulled him into another tight embrace. This one knocking all the air out of lungs. He was eternally great full she hadn't started to cry as she had with everyone else.

Harry knew he'd miss these hugs in the coming months so he decided to treasure this one for now, because he didn't know how long it would be until he got another one.

-----------

Well this is my fourth chapter. Tell me what you think of it. The next chapter should be coming out next weekend. I'm going to try and update every weekend. Its really the only time I get. The only reason I updated early this week is because I'm home sick and was bored out of my mind.


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.k. not me.

When he was finally able to leave his mothers vice like grip he walked over to in front of the barrier. He sent one last look at his parents before he closed his eyes and ran straight at the seemingly solid brick wall. A small part of him was terrified that he was going to crash so he was immensely relieved when he only felt a slight tingle of magic as he came through the barrier.

Harry opened his eyes and had to stop himself from gaping. The platform was huge and filled to the brim with families sending off their children to school. Harry could a huge scarlet steam engine on the opposite end of the platform. It looked more magnificent than he'd ever thought it would be. It was definitely better than those other trains he had seen on the muggle platforms.

With a grin he set off through the crowd towards the train. He wanted to get on the train quickly so he could find a compartment. What he hadn't counted on was the stir he'd caused when people started to notice him.

"Merlin," one women said in a loud enough voice to attract everyone else. "Its Harry Potter."

Before he'd even realized what had happened the people of the train station were surrounding him. He felt people hands on him as they all tried to shake his hand or touch him in some way. Everyone was shouting questions so he couldn't hear what any single person was saying.

There were more people surrounding him than he'd ever seen in his life. And they were all so close. There was no way for him to get away. He was trapped in a sea of people who were all groping him. Unconsciously his breathing had started to quicken and he started to break out in a nervous sweat. But still the crowd of people pressed closer to him.

Just as he was getting dizzy from lack of oxygen to the brain someone broke through the crowd and blocked off the people still trying to get to him, while another sent off loud explosions with his wand. There was silence immediately.

Harry unconsciously moved closer to the people protecting him from the mob of people. From seemingly far away he heard someone yelling at the crowd of people. He didn't listen to what was said he just tried to get his breathing under control. He closed his eyes and mentally counted to five before taking a breath. It took a few minute for him to get his breath back and when he finally opened his eyes he noticed that he was leaning against someone in a corner of the platform. The mob of people was no where to be seen.

His cheeks burned with embarrassment as he pulled back from the women, he could tell it was a woman, who had been comforting him. He looked up and saw a plumb homey looking woman with frizzled red hair looking down at him worriedly. Standing next to her was a tall balding man who also had red hair. Their kind faces were currently looking at him concernedly.

"Are you ok dear." the women asked kindly.

Harry blushed and nodded. "Yes ma'am. Thank you for getting me away from the crowd. It was rather... large." he said trying to hide his embarrassment.

They both chuckled slightly at his understatement. "I don't know what they were thinking. Attacking a child like that." The women said fiercely.

Harry stuck his hand out in a gesture of good faith. "My names Harry Potter and I'm pleased to meat you." He said with a small smile of appreciation.

"It's nice to meat a young man with such nice manners." the women said before taking his hand. "I'm Molly Weasley."

Harry smiled as he released her hand and shook her husbands hand, who's name was Aurthor Weasley.

"Thank you again for all your help." He said sincerely. His parents had after all taught him to be polite. "I really should be getting on the train now."

They said their goodbyes and Harry hurried to the train. Almost everyone was off the platform, which ment that there wasn't really any hope for him finding his own compartment.

Sending one last wave at Mr. and Mrs. Weasley he boarded the train. He nervously smoothed out the wrinkles in his clothes before looking for a compartment.

Lady luck turned out to be on his side because after only looking for a few minutes he found an empty compartment in the middle of the train.

Harry pulled out his trunk and tapped it with his wand to enlarge it. It really wasn't a spell per say more like he was undoing his fathers spell. The first thing he did was pull out his communication journal from his third compartment. Then he put his trunk up on the rack.

He was still feeling sick from his earlier encounter. The only thing he wanted to do right now was wash his body. When he closed his eyes he could feel everyone's hands on him.

He sincerely hoped that that never happened again.

_'Mum'_ he wrote. Hoping she would answer.

To his eternal relief it only took her a few minutes to answer. She had probably been checking it every few minutes to see if something went wrong

_'Hello son, did everything go all right?'_ Minerva wrote.

Harry sighed and proceeded to tell her exactly what happened from his point of view. She ranted for a few lines about the immaturity of wizards and witches in general for a good three paragraphs, before she stopped.

_'Are you alright? '_ she asked. _'It sounds like you had a panic attack.'_

_'I'll be fine. I just want to take a shower. I feel dirty.'_ He wrote.

_'I'm sorry Harry this would have never happened if we had let you make a public appearance before now.'_ His mum wrote and he could in his minds eye her distraught face.

_'Don't worry, I'm fine. And I don't blame you and dad. It was bound to happen eventually'_ He wrote to reassure his mother. He hated the thought of her being sad.

_'As long as your alright'_ She wrote. _'Your father and I wil talk it over with you tonight after the feast.'_

Harry was just getting ready to write something else when someone opened the compartment door. A tall gangly boy with red hair and a bunch of freckles stood nervously in the doorway. He looked like Mrs. Weasley so he was guessing this was her son.

"Do you mind if I sit here, everywhere else is full?" he asked hopefully. Though he didn't looked to hopeful.

"That sounds fine, I'll be done with this in just a moment." Harry said to the boy.

The red hair boy smiled and drug his trunk in the compartment.

_'A boy just came into my compartment. He looks like a Weasley. I'll talk to you later mum, Love you' _Harry scribbled down quickly.

_'Have fun and be polite'_ She reminded him before he closed the book. He looked up at the red haired boy to see him struggling with getting his trunk into the overhead rack.

"Here let me help you with that" Harry said as he stood up. Together the two boys got the heavy trunk up into the rack. Though it did almost fall on them once. Ron's trunk didn't have a lightening charm on it.

"Thanks." the boy said. "I'm Ron, Ron Weasley" He introduced with a hand stuck out.

Harry took his hand and said. "My names Harry, Harry Potter. Its nice to meat you."

Ron's jaw dropped open. "Your _him_" he gasped out. "you're the-boy-who-lived"

Harry shrugged uncomfortably. He didn't think he'd ever get used to this fame. "Yeah I guess." He said.

Ron stared at him for a few seconds before he realized what he was doing and flushed.

"Do...do you really have the scar?" he asked quietly.

Harry sighed and pushed his bangs back revealing his famous scar. He was started to seriously consider getting it surgically removed.

There were a few moments of silence where Ron would pretend to look out the window while he was sneaking peaks at Harry. Harry could tell he wanted to ask a question but was to afraid to do so.

"Ron if you have a question just ask it?" He said after getting annoyed at being stared at like some animal at the zoo.

Ron blushed fiercely but asked his question anyway. "Can you remember anything from... that night?" He asked quietly.

Harry frowned. He really hoped that everyone didn't act like this. "I used to have dreams of my mother begging Voldemort" He stopped because Ron squeaked and almost fell of his chair.

"You said you-know-who's-name." he gasped out sounding impressed but also slightly fearful.

"Yes well fear of a name only increases fear of a thing so I don't see any reason not to say it. Besides Voldemorts dead what's he going to do curse me from the after life" Harry said dryly.

Ron laughed nervously but didn't say anything else on the subject.

"Any way I remember a flash of green light and then really horrible laughter. Sometime I dream of a huge explosion, but that's it." Harry finished looking at Ron.

"Wow" Ron said looking at Harry in reverence.

Harry shrugged. He personally didn't think it was cool or anything. He hated that memory. It was his parents dying for Merlin's sake.

"So who's your favorite quiditch team?" Harry asked making conversation. Ron's whole face lit up at the mention of quiditch.

The next hour passed in a flurry of quiditch debates and talk of there favorite teams. Ron apparently worshipped the Chudley Cannons, who were without a doubt the worst team in the league. While Harry supported the London Lions, due to familial reasons. They also had a large chance of going to the world cup and had one of the best seekers in the league.

They were in the middle of talking about which position was best, when the door opened. Revealing a tall blood haired boy with pale aristocratic features and two large boys who looked more like thugs than anything else.

"I hear Harry Potters on the train." The blonde said with a bored drawl.

"And if he is" Harry said carefully. His parents had warned him that some death eaters and their children might try and take revenge out on him for destroying their master.

The blonde looked him over appraisingly and approvingly. He obviously liked what he saw. "The names Malfoy, Draco Malfoy." The blonde said arrogantly like it was supposed to mean something. To Harry it did. Lucius Malfoy was a Death Eater who escaped Azkaban by paying off the minister. This must be his son.

Ron gave a slight snigger, which he tried to cover up with a laugh, but failed quiet badly.

Draco Malfoy sneered at him. "Think my names funny do you? No need to ask who you are. My father has told me all about the Weasleys. Red hair, freckles, and more children then they can afford." Ron turned red with embarrassment.

Draco turned to Harry next. "You'll soon find that some wizarding families are better than others, Potter. You have to be careful not to make friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there." He said with a hand held out.

Harry looked at him for a moment wondering if he was serious or not. This boys father was a Death Eater and had killed innocent people. He Harry was the reason his master was dead. Did they really expect him to become friends with his son. Especially when it was obvious that he held the same beliefs as his father.

"Define 'wrong sort'." Harry said cooly while looking at the blonde with narrowed eyes.

"Why mudbloods and blood traitors of course." The blonde said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"I think I can sort out the wrong sort for myself thanks." Harry said in an even colder voice. His birth mother had been a muggle born.

A pink tinge appeared on Draco's pale cheeks. "I'd be careful if I were you Potter" he said with a distasteful look. "If you don't learn some manners you'll end up the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them either. "

He would have said more but Harry had stood up and was now inches away from his face with his wand drawn and pressed into his chin. He had never tried any spells before but he had read about a fare few. One of them was bound to do something.

"I think you've out stayed your welcome Malfoy. Leave. Now." Harry said in an authoritative voice. The two heavy set boys who had remained motionless until now stepped forward in front Malfoy and blocked him from view.

Harry just glared at them both with a fire in his green eyes. "Leave, before I hex you into next month." he said firmly.

Malfoy glared at him darkly but did as he was told . "Come on Crabbe, Goyle. Lets go before I catch something."

Harry put his wand back in his pocket and turned around, he was surprised to see Ron standing behind him also also putting his wand away. Harry smiled at him. He was great full for the show of support.

"So do you have any brother's or sisters?" Harry asked starting a whole new discussion about their families. Ron told him how he had five older brothers and one younger sister.

Ron was in the middle of describing how his oldest brother Bill was a curse breaker in Egypt when the compartment door opened again.

The trolley lady was outside of their compartment. "Anything off the trolley dears?" she asked with a smile. Ron muttered something about having a packed lunch, but Harry had no such restrictions. His dad had handed him a handful of galleons especially for this.

He ended up buying a large pile of chocolate frogs, a few bags of Bertie Bott's and some Pumpkin Pasties. He made sure to buy extra incase his new friend wanted any. He'd seen the state of his sandwiches and it hadn't been good.

The rest of the train ride went uneventfully. They started a game to see who would eat the worst flavored Berties Bott's that lhad asted until a girl with bushy brown hair had come into the compartment looking for a toad. Ron had taken an immediately disliking to the girl because she told him he had dirt on his nose.

A message came over a magical intercom saying that they'd be at Hogwarts in ten minutes and to get dressed into their uniforms ending the playful atmosphere.

Ron and Harry had to hurry to get dressed in their uniforms before they got to the school. They were barely fastening their cloaks when then train pulled into a stop at Hogsmeade station. Harry could feel the butterflies in his stomach flying wildly.

"Where do we go?" Harry asked Ron. No one had ever told him what he was supposed to do after he got on the train.

"Just follow everyone else I suppose." Ron said with a shrug. Harry smiled nervously at him and stepped out of the compartment into a sea of students. Luckily no one recognized him or if they did they didn't attack him like the people t the train station.

The two boys followed everyone off the train and down to the platform.

"Firs' years! Firs' years! Over here!" A booming voice called. Harry and Ron walked hurriedly toward it. Harry's eyes widened. There standing in front of him was the biggest man Harry had ever seen. "C'mon follow me, any more firs' years? "

The group of first years followed the giant man, who Harry recognized as Hagrid the grounds keeper from his parents description. They had said he was larger than most but this man was huge, even bigger than Vernon, something he didn't think was possible.

Everyone followed Hagrid down a path that lead to the lake. "You'll be seein yer firs' look o' Hogwarts in a mo'ment."

The entire crowd gasp as one as they turned a bend and there was Hogwarts in all her glory. Even Harry who had grown up in the castle had never seen her like this. It was the most breath taking sight he'd ever seen. Next to him he heard Ron swear insurprise that that was where they would be going to school.

"Alright no more'n four to a boat." Hagrid said and it was then that Harry realized that there were boats in the lake waiting for them.

Ron grabbed his arm and pulled him to the closest available boat. They were joined shortly later by a somewhat chubby boy who had mousy brown hair and a elegant red head.

With a jolt the boats started to move forward. The red head who looked as if she was trying to sit as far away from them as possible tipped and would have fallen in the lake if it wasn't for Harry's quick reflexes. He grabbed her arm and steadied her.

She looked at him with a masked face. "Thank you" she said carefully.

Harry gave her a crooked grin. "You're welcome. Could you imagine having to get sorted soaking wet?"

Her lips twitched up in more of a smirk than a smile. "It happened to my eldest brother." she said though there was a twinge of sadness in her voice.

"I'm Harry, and this is my friend Ron" Harry said pointing to Ron who had been oddly silent. Though he smiled when Harry introduced him as a friend.

"My names Daphne." she introduced.

"It's nice to meet you Daphne." Harry said and he gave her a small bow, or at least the closest thing he could get to a bow while sitting in a small rickety boat. Harry smiled when he saw her lips twitch, almost as if she wanted to smile. He wondered silently if she ever really smiled.

He turned to the last boy who looked like he would be sick he was so nervous. "Hi!" he said hoping he could help the boy relax. "I'm Harry."

The boy blushed but answered. "I'm N...Neville"

"It's nice to meet you Neville." Neville smiled shyly and nodded.

"So" Ron said after a few minutes. "Does anyone know how we get sorted. My brothers told me you had to wrestle a troll but..." he trailed off with a shrug.

Harry laughed. "We can't wrestle a troll. First years couldn't possibly do it and come out alive." he said with laughter in his voice. He knew about the sorting hat of course. When he was younger he used to try it on when he was in his dads office and try and persuade it to tell him his house.

"My Father told me that all we had to do was try on a hat." Daphne said joining in the conversation. Harry stayed silent not wanting to reveal his knowledge on the subject.

The conversation would have lasted longer but the small boats suddenly went into a tunnel under the school.

"We're almost there." Harry said in a excited voice. Now that he had met some of the people he'd be going to classes with the thought of school didn't seem so scary. He was actually looking forward to it a small bit.

The boats knocked against a dock and Hagrid helped everyone out of the boats. A door at the other side of the room opened and Harry chocked on the spit he'd been swallowing.

There stood his mum, only she looked completely different then he'd ever seen her. He had known that she projected a different image while out of the safety of their rooms but this was weird. She looked completely different. Even Harry who had know her his entire life was intimidated by her. She stood tall and straight, with her hair up in a tight bun. She had a aura of sternness that rolled off her in waves. He silently vowed to himself to never make his mother angry again.

Then his mums dark green eyes met his and she winked stealthily at him. A wave of relief filled him. She was still his mum. Even if she was dressed funnily in bulky green robes that made her look like and old spinster.

"I'll take them from here Hagrid." she said in a firm voice.

"O course p'fessor" Hagrid said.

"Follow me." Minerva said her voice only slightly higher, but it still caught the attention of everyone in the room.

She walked out of the door and the first years followed her into the entrance hall and into a small empty chamber to the left of the hall. Everyone crowded in and looked to Professor Mcgonagall for furthere instruction.

"Welcome to Hagwarts" she said. "The start of term feast will begin momentarily. Before that you, of course, have to be sorted. The house you are sorted into will be your family within these walls. You have classes with your house, live in closed quarters with your house and eat meals with your house.

"The four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house is valued for there own traits and outstanding witches and wizards come from each. While you are at Hogwarts any rule breaking will lose you house points, while triumphs will gain you house points. At the end of each year there is a house cup that is rewarded to the house with the most points.

"The sorting ceremony will take place in a few moments. I suggest you smarten your selves up, its in front of the rest of the school."

Harry made a show of flattening his hair while looking into his mothers eyes and smiling. She raised an eyebrow and bit down a smile at her cheeky son.

"I shall return when we are ready for you" she said after tearing her eyes from Harry's. Then she left the chamber.

No one really spoke except for the girl who had told Ron about his dirty nose, she was chatting with anyone who would listen.

Harry stood in thought about which house he would be sorted into. He wanted to be a Gryffindor, because both his parents and his birth parents had been in that house, but he also knew he had traits from other houses.

When he was younger and in his fathers office he would try and convince, Timothy, the sorting hat to tell him which house he belonged in. The only thing he got for his efforts was annoyed Timothy telling his father that it had been he and Nathan who had charmed his socks to run from him. His dad hadn't been amused, if he took one thing serious in his life it was his socks. After that he'd left the evil, at least in his opinion, hat alone.

Screams from the back of the room attracted his attention. He turned his hand on his wand ready to spout out the few curses Nathan and the twins had taught him. Only to see the Muggleborns and half-bloods staring in awe and fear at the ghost's of Hogwarts.

Harry smiled mentally. He'd met Sir Nicolas during Easter vacation when he was eight. His father had closed the school down, saying something about it needing repairs. He, Nathan and the twins had been playing hide and seek in the North Tower. Harry was the seeker and had been hiding in an abandon classroom to count to a hundred. He was a thirty-five when the ghost happened to float through the class room.

Harry remembered being so shocked at the sudden appearance that he fell off the desk he'd been sitting on attracting the ghost's attention. Nick, as he'd been told to call him, was just as surprised to see him as he was. Harry had had to explain to him why he was there and once Nick was satisfied that he wasn't a forgotten student or someone causing trouble, he helped Harry find his siblings.

Ever since Nick would come to their rooms every once and a while and tell them the latest gossip of the castle and stories of students past. He even told them some stories of his birth parents that he hadn't known before.

Harry winked at Nick and shook his head negatively, telling the ghost he would explain later. Nick only raised an eyebrow, but other wise didn't draw any attention to Harry.

The only door to the chamber opened and his mother walked in looking if possible even sterner than before. "The sorting ceremony is about to begin." she said looking at the group with a contemplative gaze. "Form a line and follow me."

Harry jumped in line behind Ron and in front of Daphne. The group of first years followed the professor out of the chamber, through the entrance hall and into the Great Hall. Almost everyone gasped at the halls beauty. Harry looked around and pretended to be interested in it.

It was only when he looked to the front of the room that his step faltered and he almost fell. What he assumed was his father was sitting in the center of the head table smiling broadly. Harry had to consciously tell himself to keep breathing and not to laugh uproariously. The beard and hair were bad enough, but what in the world possessed his father to wear purple and orange robes.

The first years were left standing in the front of the hall under the scrutiny of the upper classmen, while his mum went to go get the sorting hat. Harry looked up and met his fathers raised eyebrow. Harry just gave him a look then looked purposely at the mans robes.

His dad smiled secretly and winked at him before motioning to Harry to pay attention. Harry followed his fathers eyes and noticed that his mother had entered with the sorting hat and he hadn't even noticed. Butterflies started to jump around in his stomach as he came closer to being sorted. This was the most important moment in his life, so far, that he could remember.


	7. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own any of the fantastic world that is Harry Potter. Not even a tiny bit.

It seemed the entire hall sat breathless for a moment while waiting for something to happen. Harry was the only first year who didn't jump out of surprise when the hats brim opened and started to sing.

"_Oh you might not think I__'__m pretty_

_But don__'__t judge on what you see_

_I__'__ll eat my self if you can find _

_A smarter hat then me._

_You can keep your bowlers black_

_Your top hats straight and tall,_

_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_And I can cap them all._

_There__'__s nothing in your head_

_The sorting hat can see,_

_So try me on and ill will tell you_

_Where you ought to be._

_You might belong in Gryffindor_

_Where dwell the brave at heart_

_Their daring, nerve and chivalry_

_Set Gryffindors apart._

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

_Where they are just and loyal,_

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true _

_And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

_If you__'__ve a ready Mind,_

_Where those of wit and learning_

_Will always find there kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin_

_You__'__ll make your real friends,_

_Those cunning folk use any means_

_To achieve there ends._

_So put me on! Don__'__t be Afraid!_

_And don__'__t get in a flap!_

_You__'__re in safe hands (though I have none)_

_For I'm a thinking cap!__"_

(J.K. Rowling – Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone)

The great hall burst into applause and Harry heard Ron say something abour killing his brothers.

His mum walked forward holding a long piece of parchment. Harry guessed correctly that it had the names of all the first year students.

"When I call you name you will step forward and put the sorting hat on to be sorted." She said before calling out "Abbot, Hannah."

The girl was sorted into Hufflepuff and from there on Harry watched the sorting progress. He had noticed that the hat took a different amount of time with each person. He guessed it had to do with the persons attributes.

His mum continued calling names and Timothy continued sorting them. Finally someone he knew was called. "Greengrass, Daphne"

"Good luck." he whispered to the red head as she walked to the hat. She only nodded at him and went to the stool.

Harry's eyes locked onto hers as the hat was lowered onto her head. She stared at him with her enchanting grey eyes even as the hat was lowered onto her head and covered her eyes.

This time the hat took at least a minute before shouting out "Slytherin."

Daphne took the hat off and stared defiantly back at Harry. Harry just smiled at her the same way he did his mum. He knew she expected him to be prejudice against her like most people were to Slytherins, but his dad had taught him that just because a person was ambitious didn't mean they were evil. It was true that more dark wizards came out of Slytherin but it was only because most dark wizards were ambitious. Harry also knew that dark wizards could come from other houses too.

More names were called out but only two that Harry knew. Neville Longbottom was sorted in Gryffindor after a long consultation and Draco Malfoy was put into Slytherin almost immediately.

Almost before Harry knew it his name was called. "Potter, Harry." his mother said her voice only slightly different than before.

Harry stepped up to Timothy and was proud to see that his knee's didn't shake at all.

Every student in the hall seemed to be trying to look at him. saying things like "Potter, did she say Harry Potter." or "The boy-who-lived.". Harry gritted his teeth to stop from telling them off.

A little more forcefully than he intended he put Timothy on his head.

_'Ah'_ Timothy said in his head. _'Young Harry, it's finally time to know your house.'_

'I would imagine so.' Harry thought dryly, his anger abating slightly.

_'Hmm' _Timothy hummed. _'You could do well in any house. The loyalty of a Hufflepuff, the intelligence of a Ravenclaw, the bravery of a Gryffindor, and the cunning of a Slytherin. But which house would suit you best.'_

'Aren't you supposed to tell me that.' Harry jibed the hat

_'Shush'_ Timothy scolded him._ 'I'm trying to work.'_

_'Hufflepuff is out of the question, your to reckless, as is Ravenclaw. Your intelligent but your life does not revolve around studying. The choice now lays between Slytherin and Gryffindor.'_

'I think Gryffindor because while you find me to be cunning I don't have the ambition to be in Slytherin. I also would like to live until I graduate and I don't think living with a group of death eaters children would be good for my health.'

Timothy chuckled in his ear. _'I happen to agree with you young Harry, so it better be _GRYFFINDOR' And Timothy shouted the last word out loud.

Harry jumped up and pulled the hat off his head as the Gryffindor table exploded with cheers, even going so far as a pair of twins were shouting "We got Potter" over and over again.

Harry winked at his mum and walked over to his new house table and sat next to Neville the only other first year boy. He looked up at the head table and caught his fathers prideful glance and smiled happily to himself. The rest of the sorting went by quickly. Gryffindor got three more boys and three more girls, Ron included.

When the sorting was over his father stood and even Harry had to admit he looked impressive standing over everyone with a wide smile and twinkling eyes. He looked a little like the history books he read depicted Merlin. He wondered if that's what he was going for when he had chosen his disguise.

"Welcome!" he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Be fore we begin the feat I have a few words I would like to say. Nitwit. Blubber. Oddment. Tweak. Thank you." Then he sat down.

Harry stared at him with a dumb look on his face. How was it possible that his father acted like this to the rest of the world but yet he was so well respected. It was almost inconceivable.

"He's mad, blood barmy." he mutter to himself with a small smile. A prefect with red hair, another Weasley, who was sitting next to him smiled.

"Maybe." the boy said "But he's a genius. Potatoes?"

Harry shook his head and excepted the bowl of potatoes. He'd ponder the wizarding world later. For now he'd eat his dinner.

After eating third helpings of desert Harry agreed with his mothers assessment. Hogwarts food was good, even on par with Madam Murphy's or his mothers. Dinner was an enjoyable affair. He talked with his house mates and Nick, watched Ron eat twice as much as he did, and talked with the older students about classes and teachers.

Most everything he'd already known, but he did learn a few things. For example he knew the history teacher had the ability to put even the most studious students to sleep at one time or another. He'd already known the teacher was a ghost. He also learned that Professor Snape the potions master was unfair and biased to anyone who wasn't a Slytherin, and that he hated Gryffindors. His parents hadn't told him that, in fact they hadn't told him much about Snape at all.

Pushing his empty plate away his sat back feeling comfortable full and observed the head table. His mother and father were glaring at each other while having an animated discussion. Most would think they were angry at each other but Harry could see the twinkle behind his fathers glare and the love behind his mothers stern look. Hagrid was drinking deeply from a large goblet and looked rather drunk. A man in a absurd turban was talking with who he assumed was Snape, if the greasy black hair and hooked nose were anything to go by.

Almost as if he could sense Harry watching him Snape's unforgiving black eyes swiveled to his. A sharp hot pain erupted in his forehead right where his scar was. It was gone in a instant and he almost believed he'd imagined it. It was only due to pure will that his hands hadn't clapped onto his forehead.

He quickly averted his eyes and met his mothers green. She seemed to notice his distress and gave him a long look and then a quick nod, before turning to his father who was also watching him, though more discreetly, and whispered something to him. His father nodded then gave him a look. Harry nodded back and got the message, he would talk to them about it later, for now he would just enjoy himself.

He tried to go back to his conversations but he was worried. His scar had never hurt before. Was it a sign of some sort, and why did it seem to happen when he looked at his potions Professor?

Luckily for him the golden plates soon cleared at his father stood up again. Ron groaned that he wasn't done eating yet but he to became silent as he looked to the front of the hall.

"Just a few more start of term announcements." he said with a smile, though Harry could see it was somewhat forced, even if no one else could.

"First years should be reminded that the forbidden forest is called so for a reason. No students are permitted entry." His dads eyes flashed to the twins who had sung when he was sorted before giving him a look. He'd been known to break the rules.

"Mr. Filch, our care taker, has also reminded me that the use of magic is strictly forbidden in the corridors.

"Quidditch trials will be held during the second week of term. Anyone interested in playing for their house team should contact Madam Hooch.

"And finally" he said his voice switching from light and jovial to heavy serious. "I must tell you that the third floor corridor is out of bounds for anyone who does not wish to die a horrible and painful death."

A few students laughed but Harry knew better. His father would never make a joke like that. He was being completely serious.

Again his fathers demeanor changed he once again looked jovial and carefree, though Harry knew better, his father was excellent at hiding his emotions. "Now before we go to bed let us sing the school song."

Harry smiled as he saw his mother grimace, this would be fun. His dad flicked his wand and golden words appeared floating in the air. "Everyone pick you favorite tune and sing along."

The entire thing sounded absolutely horrible but Harry enjoyed it nonetheless. The hall finished with the red headed twins singing to a slow funeral march.

"Ah music." his dad said smiling brightly at his colleges and his wife's looks of resentment. "A magic beyond what we learn here. Now time for bed. Off you trot." he said making hand motions to the doors.

Harry stood slowly thinking his dad had forgotten about earlier.

"And Harry Potter could you come with me. I believe the incident earlier needs to be discussed." his father said. Most of the hall looked at him curiously, but word of what had happened on the platform had spread, so they all believed that was the incident the headmaster spoke of. Harry wasn't about to correct them.

"Of course." Harry said though his dad had no of hearing him. Breaking away from the wave of students he walked to the head table and smiled slightly at his fathers wink.

"Ahh Harry I believe we should take this to my office." he said. Harry nodded his consent and followed his father out of the hall wondering why his mother wasn't coming with them.

"Where's m-" he started only to be cut off.

"We'll talk in my office. The halls have ears even I'm not aware of."

Harry mentally berated himself. He should have known better. The trip took less than five minutes and Harry spent the last three minutes looking at his father robes in amusement. Up close you could really see the detail better. There were little wizards on his robe preforming bits of magic. One wizard was dueling a garden gnome.

Several times he snorted in repressed laughter only to stop quickly when his father looked at him.

"Lemon drops." His dad said to the gargoyle that guarded his office. Harry rolled his eyes at the sweet obsession and waved to the gargoyle. He followed his dad up the stairs and was surprised to see his mum there looking as she normally did, forging the bulky robes and bun in favor of a light under robe that was still suitable to wear by itself and loose curls.

He opened his mouth to speak but before he could get a word out she launched herself st him and was squeezing the air out of his lungs. Harry's eyes bulged and he just knew he was slightly blue by the time she released him.

"Good evening mother." he said dryly slightly out of breath. Minerva only smiled tearfully and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Harry turned to his dad to ask him about his scar but had to stop. The beard and outrageously long hair was gone replace by a smooth shaven face and white hair in tie at the nip of his neck. He was pulling the heavy garnish robes over his head and leaving himself in dressed in muggle black slacks and a grey button up shirt that was slightly rumpled.

The question came out of his mouth before he could stop himself. "Do you know how funny you looked?" he asked with a giggle, that he would later deny ever having uttered.

Albus mock glared at him. "I could give you detention for that you know. "

Harry smiled charmingly. "But you wont." he said as he bounced to his favorite red squashy arm chair. His mother laughed out right and as much as he tried to fight it his father soon joined in the merriment.

"What a cheeky son I have raised." Albus said throwing his hands up in exasperation. Harry laughed again before turning serious. He had something's he wanted to talk about and he doubted he had much time.

"Dad, my scar hurt earlier. Is that normal?" he asked. He was caught by surprise when his father looked at him sharply. His face lost all traces of laughter and he turned completely serious, his mother also looked worried.

"No its not." his father said slowly. "Tell me what you were doing when this happened." he said in a tone that left no room for arguments.

"I had just finished desert and I was looking at the staff table to see if I could tell which teachers were which. I looked at you and mum then the man with the turban and then I looked at Professor Snape. He turned and looked at me and met my eye. Then my scar hurt. Sort of like a sharp pain. It only lasted a second but it kind of freaked me out." Harry explained.

"I have heard of things like this happening before, but its rare. I will look into it for you. If it happens again I want you to tell me. If you can't speak with me write to me in the journals and I will arrange something."

"Alright." Harry said knowing that even if his dad knew more he wasn't going to tell Harry anything else.

"What happened at the platform?" his dad asked still serious.

Harry shrugged and looked to his mum for reassurance. With a sigh he explained about the crowd and how Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had rescued him.

"I think he had a panic attack." his mother said to the room.

"Yes, it does sound like one."

"I'm fine now though honestly." Harry reassured them with a smile.

"Of course you are dear." his mother said in a tone that said she didn't believe him for a second. Harry scowled slightly. He was fine he hated it when she made a big deal over every little time he got hurt. It was the curse of being the youngest he supposed.

"I have no idea how I'm going to stop myself from laughing every time I see you." Harry said completely seriously.

Both of his parents glared at him fiercely which only made Harry burst out laughing.

The family chatted for a few more minutes before Albus said that Harry had to get back to the tower before anyone suspected anything.

Harry sighed loudly. "This is going to become so complicated." he said his voice carried the slightest whine. He really didn't want to do this. If only he wasn't famous. Then he could have a normal life, with normal goals. And no one staring at him or wanting to kill him for something he couldn't remember.

His mum hugged him one last time and told him how proud she was that he was in Gryffindor, before he left with his dad to go to the Gryffindor common room. His dad turned himself invisible then they took a secret passage that brought them out behind a suit of armor right outside the entrance to the common room.

"Password." the fat lady asked looking at him suspiciously.

"Caput Draconis." Harry answered. His dad had told him while they were walking there.

He felt a hand squeeze his shoulder gently as the portrait opened. Harry flashed the seemingly empty space a smile before he walked into a empty common room.

After a bit of looking around he found a stairways that said 'Boys Dormitories' and followed it to the very top where there was another sign that said 'First Years'.

He opened the door and stepped in. He had to withhold a grimace when he was that everyone was awake and watching the door waiting for him to enter the room. Of course everyone looked away and tried to hide that fact as soon as he stepped in.

With a mental roll of his eyes he walked over to the bed that had his trunk at the foot. It was next to the wall and beside Ron's so he rather liked the position.

He set about getting ready for bed all to aware that everyone was watching him discretely. It wasn't until he came out of the bathroom that someone finally asked the question they were all dying to hear.

"So erm Harry." Ron said trying to act casual and failing horribly. "What did the Headmaster want?"

Harry sighed out loud this time and flopped down on his bed. "We talked about what happened at the train station and he told me he'd sort something out so it never happened again." Harry answered simply.

"Ohh" Ron said. Apparently he had been expecting something more exciting.

Harry said a vague good night then gabbed his journal, a pen, and closed the curtains around his bed. He wrote a short letter describing Hogwarts as a student so far to his brothers and sister. He'd been threatened with extreme pranking if he didn't write to them at least every other day.

It was thirty minutes later when he was laying down to go to sleep when he remembered that he'd never asked his parents about the third floor corridor being off bounds. He mentally resolved to ask at the next opportunity before he fell into odd dreams of magical stair cases, skate boards, and flying books.

-------------

Here the next chappy. Hope you like it. The next chapter should be out next weekend as always.

Review me please.


	8. Chapter 7

Harry woke the next morning to the unfamiliar sound of four other boys banging around to get ready. It took a moment for him to realize why there were people in his bed room this early.

He sat straight up in bed as the events from yesterday caught up with him. He was at Hogwarts and the 'banging around' was his dorm mates getting ready for classes. By the sounds of it they had already been up for a while, but hadn't woken him up yet. He'd over slept on the first day of his formal education.

'Mum'll kill me if I'm late' he thought to himself as he jumped out of bed and pulled back his bed curtains.

As he thought there were four other boys up and about, but they like him weren't dressed or showered yet. Ron was digging through his trunk frantically looking for all of his books while you could only see Neville's legs as he looked under the bed for something he'd already lost.

The other two boys were also in various states of panic and half dress. "Good morning." he said politely as he walked to the end of his bed and opened his trunk.

"Mornin'" a sandy haired blonde said. "I'm Seamus and this is Dean." The other boy nodded through a yawn.

"Harry Potter." he said. Both boys did the now customary look to his forehead before going back to getting ready.

Harry tapped his wand on the lid of the trunk and whispered the password, 'carus', it meant beloved in Latin. His mother had set it after they bought the trunk. The trunk grew in size until it was the size of a moderately sized chest of drawers that came up to his middle.

Harry rubbed his still tired eyes and opened the trunk. Inside it looked even bigger than outside. It was the size of a large closet and held all of his robes and day clothes neatly. The more important the garments were hung up, like his school uniform and his dressier clothes. The rest of his clothing was put in drawers and there was even a shelf near the bottom that held his shoes.

To most purebloods or wealthier families this trunk wouldn't have caused much of a fuss. It was usual for a family to send their child out into the world fully equip.

"You've got yourself one of those." Seamus said casually. "Me cousin had one, she's older and goes to school in France."

"My guardian was actually going to but me an auror trunk; you know the one with the five compartments and a room. But then we went on holiday in France right after my letter showed up and saw these. Apparently their very popular for school children in France. Or at least that's what the shop keeper said." Harry said with a grin.

Seamus laughed and Neville cracked a smile, but Dean was lost, and Ron was looking down with red ears. Harry winced slightly as he now looked at the battered books and trunk the red head kneeled in front of. He must have just sounded like a prat to someone who didn't have a lot of money.

Harry to the showers and washed quickly before getting dressed. He felt, to put it simply, like an ass. He knew he was very privileged, with almost anything he could ever ask for available for him. He knew his parents were beyond the normal scale of wealth. Both had been the last of their lines and heads of ancient and Noble Families. Harry and Nathan had once over heard them talking about how they'd never gotten paid for working at Hogwarts. They did everything for free.



He also knew he would one day become the head of the Potter family as he was the last remaining heir. The Potters were an old family that could trace its roots back past the founding of Hogwarts. The family also had a lot of political sway and was involved in a lot of business transactions.

As he straightened his tie he promised to himself that he would be more aware of other people's feelings in the future. He'd try not to make it look like he was flashing his wealth. He knew that even if he didn't care if he had enough gold to buy a quidditch team or not some people were more sensitive.

He walked out of the bathroom five minutes later with a smile on his face. The other boys were just heading to the showers but they had already packed their bags. He used his spare time to look over his trunk and make sure he had all of his school supplies, which he did. Not knowing what else to do he took out a school book and started to review.

He was going over the first chapter synapses of beginner's potions when Neville walked into the room dressed and looking even more nervous than he had the night before.

"Hello Neville." Harry said putting his book down on his bed.

"H..hello." the boy stuttered with a pink stain on his cheeks.

"Are you happy about getting sorted into Gryffindor?" Harry asked making conversation.

"My parents were in Gryffindor." he stated.

"Ohh." Harry said not knowing how to respond to such an answer.

He was saved from making any further conversation when the rest of the boys entered the room talking about the up and coming studies.

The five boys soon after decided to go down to breakfast in the Great Hall with a pompous prefect named Percy Weasley as their guide. He was Ron's older brother but that didn't stop Ron from making faces behind his brothers back when he would go on and on about the school's history. Things the eleven year old boys didn't care about or Harry already knew.

As they arrived in the Great Hall Harry resisted the urge to look up at the staff table and wave at his mum or dad. He sat with the other boys occasionally joining in the light conversation. It wasn't until he had loaded his plate with as much bacon, eggs, and sausage as it could hold that he looked up.

His dad had a devilish smile on his face as he dumped spoonful after spoonful of powdered sugar onto his already syrup lathered pancakes. His mum was talking to Rolanda Hooch or Aunt Ro, for him and his siblings, over a bowl of cereal. Though he should get in the habit of calling her Madam Hooch like the rest of the students.

She was one of the two other people in the castle who knew about his parents relationship and their children's existence. She was his mother best friend and she had known about them since each was born. She was more of a fun aunt who came over once a month just to play with the kids. She would even join in playing hide and seek when they were younger. Nate once commented that she was more of a child the he was. Of course he'd promptly been tackled to the ground and tickled till he cried, by said aunt.

The only other person who knew about the relationship and their lives was Madame Pomphrey. She only knew because as a Healer she took a vow of confidentiality about her patient's identities. She was also the healer in charge of each of mums pregnancies and all of the children's well being.



He hadn't even noticed that he'd been staring at his plate until someone shook his shoulder. He blinked rapidly and looked up. Ron, Dean, and Neville who were sitting across from his were looking behind him fearfully. He turned slowly and froze. Behind him stood his mum and she had that annoyed look and he knew he'd been ignoring her for the past few minutes.

"Your schedule, Mr. Potter." She said. Harry took the parchment without really looking at it. Instead he stared at his mum right in the eye. "I will see you in class boys" she said but didn't look at anyone them. "Let us hope Mr. Potter that you can pay more attention in class then you can here."

Harry bit back a sarcastic comment that would have normally flown from his mouth. "I shall try, Professor." he said dryly much to the horror of the surrounding students.

Minerva bit down a smile and instead nodded stiffly at her cheeky son and walked away.

Harry grinned happily to himself and turned back to look at his schedule. It went as following.

Monday

Charms- 9:00-10:30

History- 11:00-12:30

Lunch- 12:30-1:30

Transfiguration- 2:00-3:30

Tuesday

D.A.D.A- 9:00-10:30

Potions- 11:00-12:30

Lunch- 12:30- 1:30

Herbology- 2:15-3:45

Wednesday

Charms- 9:00-10:30

History- 11:00-12:30

Lunch- 12:30-1:30

Transfiguration- 2:00-3:30

Astronomy- 10:30-11:30

Thursday

D.A.D.A- 9:00-10:30



Potions- 11:00-12:30

Lunch- 12:30-1:30

Herbology- 2:15-3:45

Friday

Charms- 9:00-10:30

History- 11:00-12:30

Lunch- 12:30-1:30

Transfiguration- 2:00-3:30

All in all not such a bad deal. Only three classes each day four on Wednesday. It would be a most easy schedule for Harry to keep. Most of his days at the community center were longer than his school day.

He looked up from his schedule to see the four boys surrounding him and quite a few others staring at him in awe and fear.

"Is there something on my face?" he asked stupidly.

"Bloody hell mate. You just made a joke to McGonagall." Harry didn't understand so he said as much.

"She never puts up with that from anyone." yet another red headed boy said looking speculatively at Harry.

"Not even the headmaster." another boy said from beside him. Harry had to look twice because they looked exactly the same. They were twins. Identical twins. He could have had so much fun with an identical twin. The pranks he could pull.

"I think she likes me." he said simply then went back to looking at his schedule. Everyone else just stared at him like he was mad before going back to their breakfast.

"I think I'm going to find the Tower again, and then my first class." he said. The other boys were still eating so they only nodded vaguely. He walked quickly out of the hall and looked around to see if his mum was still around. He didn't see her anywhere and didn't know where she might have gone so he went to his dorm to grab his things.

--

Harry liked almost all of his classes. Charms were fun and he found that even after only a week of classes that he excelled at the subject. He also liked the professor, Professor Flitwick who was a short cheery fellow, who seemed to never stop smiling. In class they were learning the levitation charm and how to master it. Harry was proud to say that he was the second person to do the charm and the first to be able to make it fly in patterns, showing his control of the spell.

History was a complete bore. After the first two lessons Harry resolved to not even try and listen to the ghost professor. All the ghost, Professor Binns, droned about were Goblin rebellions, things that were not only uninteresting, but useless for the most part as well. Harry decided to bring his own history books to class and to study them instead. He, of course, didn't tell his parents but did tell his siblings in strict confidence.



Transfiguration was odd, to say the least. His mother had a way of silencing a class room that Harry had never seen before. She didn't yell, glare, or even tell the children to be quiet. There was a presence about her that demanded their attention. Her class was challenging and interesting, to those who tried to learn. It was this class that Harry had tried hardest at. Not only because his mother was teaching, though that was a big part of it, but also because his birth father, his father, and his mother were all masters in transfiguration. It was something he knew he had genes for and he wanted to master it too. His hard work and studying had paid off in the end. By the end of the first class he was the only one who could change his match completely into a needle. Not even Hermione Granger, one of the smartest children in the year had managed it.

Potions with Professor Snape was a complete and utter disaster. It was one of the only classes he had with the Slytherins so he partnered up with Daphne, she looked as surprises as everyone else. Snape, he refused to call the man a professor if he wasn't going to teach him or anyone else anything, had strode into the classroom with his black robes billowing and a sneer firmly on his face. He then continued to criticize the Gryffindors and praise the Slytherins. Then he asked Harry questions that Harry knew weren't in this year's text and when he got them right he took points from him. Harry knew the only reason his potion was sabotaged, like the rest of the Gryffindors, was because he was partnered with a Slytherin. He'd left the class disgusted and with a detention with Filtch for breathing to loudly.

Defense against the Dark arts was also another useless class. He, for one, couldn't even understand the professor through his heavy and constant stuttering. There was also the fact that the man, Professor Quirrell, seemed to be afraid of everything, including his shadow and his students. He was resolved to only doing boring book work for the rest of the year in class and practicing spells on his own time.

Herbology was ok. He wasn't good with plants, he'd never been patient enough to grow anything, and even his cactus had died from neglect. The thing that made the class fun was that it was with the Slytherins and while Malfoy and his cronies were horrible the rest of the year was pleasant enough. He had partnered with Daphne and would be his partner for the rest of the year which had Harry pleased as he was really starting to like the pretty girl who rarely ever smiled. It had become his daily goal to make her lips twitch and her eyes sparkle. He still hadn't gotten a full blow smile from the girl but he knew it was coming.

The rest of his house didn't approve of his mingling with Slytherins, especially Ron. They all warned him to stay away from the snakes and that he couldn't trust them. Harry disregarded them and followed his father's advice. He would be himself and he would make his own choices. He didn't rightly care what the rest of the world thought.

While in the common room he usually hung out with Ron, Seamus and Dean. They would play games or do homework. Sometimes they would even study ahead. Out of the Gryffindor boys in his year he liked Seamus the most. He was fun and bright and didn't talk bad about his Slytherin friends. If Ron wasn't so prejudiced he knew he would like him lot more too, but nothing Harry had said would convince the red head that all Slytherins were not evil. It was quickly getting on his nerves.

He hadn't really talked to the girl Gryffindors yet. There was Lavendor Brown and Parvati Patil who seemed to be best friends. They would sit in the common room giggling over magazines or talking in hushed whispers. The only other girl in his year was the bushy haired Hermione Granger. She seemed to be really smart in class, but that may have been because she never had her nose out of a book. At first he was going to approach her about studying together but then he noticed the glares she gave him whenever he did better than her in class. He didn't want to be friends with someone who couldn't take a little competition. He was a very competitive person and he wasn't going to stop doing his best in class to let her be happy.

Today was Saturday and he and Daphne had plans for studying in the Library with a dark skinned Italian boy named Blaise Zabani, and he was bringing Neville Longbottom, who Harry had offered to help with his Transfiguration essay.



He bid goodbye to his year mates and grabbed Neville and practically ran to the library. Completely forgetting that he wasn't supposed to know his way around the school yet. He was running ten minutes late and he knew his Slytherin friends wouldn't be too happy about his tardiness.

The two boys got into the library and stopped running. Neville was red faced from running but Harry looked normal, with the exception of his hair being even messier than before.

Daphne and Blaise were sitting at a table in a secluded corner away from the majority of the population.

"Hi guys and girl." he added at Daphne's glare. Blaise was somewhat of an anomaly. He was quiet and rarely spoke out in class or in the company of others. When he did speak though it was always something worth saying or very intelligent.

Blaise was shorter than Harry by two or so inches, but taller than Daphne who was still and inch shorter than him. He had fair brownish skin and silvery blue eyes. His hair was odd to Harry who had never seen anything like it. It was a deep and dark grey, almost but not quite black. He was always very well dressed and held his head up high like someone who learned how to stand on their own two feet early on in life.

"Hello Harry, Neville." Blaise said nodded to each of them in turn. Harry smiled at him and Neville nodded tentatively back.

"You're late." was all Daphne said not putting the book down that she was reading.

"Sorry about that." Harry said not sounding sorry at all as he sat down at the table. Neville followed his lead though he looked nervous. "My house mates were trying to save me from the big bad Slytherins and tried to stop me from coming."

Daphne's lips twitched and Blaise snorted. Harry leaned forward and looked about in a secretive way. "You're not going to murder me or cut off my bits, are you?" he asked trying and failing at keeping his face straight.

The entire table paused in what they were doing, eyes wide. Then the table collapsed into laughter. Daphne who was normally the epitome of propriety laughed with them. Harry starred at her. He'd made her laugh. Instantly he knew that he was going make her laugh every day. If it was possible she looked even prettier when she laughed.

The moment as great as it was, was short lived when Madam Pince the librarian yelled at them to shush. With silent giggles and small smiles they started to do their transfiguration homework. Offering each other help when they needed it.

Harry thought he would bring Neville along more often, because after he got over his initial shyness he was actually nice to talk to and had a way of looking at the question that you wouldn't normally considered before. Something that Evan always did, that's why his pranks were so successful.

They finished their work right before lunch and Harry excused himself saying he wasn't hungry and that he was going to go exploring. He said goodbye to his friends and walked back to his dorm to drop off his things then started making his way to his dad's office for lunch.

He was going through a dark passage way that was rarely known or used when he bumped into someone and feel down. 'oh no' he thought. He wasn't supposed to know about any hidden passage ways. How would he explain being in on after only a week of school.



A wand lit and two identical red head faces came into view, the Weasley twins. At first they looked shocked he was there then they both got serious faces.

"Harry Potter" the one on the right said.

"Or should we say Harry McGonagall." the other said.

"Or even Harry Dumbledore." the first finished.


	9. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, though I would like to.

Harry stared st the red headed twins in shock. How did they know? Did they really know or was this some sort of trick?

"W... what do you mean? My names Harry Potter, just Harry Potter" Harry tried to lie but even to his own ears it didn't sound convincing.

"There's no sense in lying"

"We know the truth, but"

"What we'd like to know is"

"How?" They said switching back and forth to one another. Managing to confuse Harry even more than he already was.

Harry did some quick thinking. They obviously knew who he was, no matter how impossible it sounded. Harry stared at them for a few moments before deciding what to do.

"If I tell you the truth you have to promise not to tell anyone and you have to tell me how you found out." Harry said.

The twins shared a look and seemed to be conversing silently. "We swear not to tell your secret but we can't tell you how we found out?" The twin on the right said.

Harry scowled but nodded anyway. "After the Potters, my birth parents, were killed Minerva McGonagall and Albus Dumbledore adopted me. They raised me along side their children. When I was young they preformed a blood adoption and I became both a McGonagall and a Dumbledore." Harry said.

The twins mouths dropped open in shock. They had been expecting something of the like but to hear that their professors had other children was disturbing.

"But they're so.. so"

"Old"

Harry laughed out loud at that. It seemed that his parents really did have the whole world tricked. "My parents aren't that old. My dads just eighty and my moms not even seventy. That's middle age for wizards. Plus they're more powerful than average so they'll live longer than most. They just make themselves appear old to throw off suspicion. Believe they look completely different out of school. I barely even recognized my dad with that insane beard."

The red head raised identical eyebrows. Clearly not believing him. "Bloody hell, here look at this." Harry said fishing out his locket that held a picture of his entire family.

He handed the locket to the twins and watched as their eyes grey as wide as saucers seeing his parents without their disguises.

"Sweet Merlin"

"McGonagalls hot." The twins said with a wolf whistle.

"Eww! Stop that she's my mum." Harry said angrily snatching his locket back and putting it back around his neck. The twins were descent enough to look mildly ashamed, but not by much.

"So are those you siblings." The red head on the right said.

"Yes." Harry said shortly. The twins raised their eyebrows at him telling him to elaborate. "Fine." he huffed but in a manly way. "There's Evan and Elizabeth. Their twins and are the oldest. Elizabeth is training to be a healer and Evan is in a long term auror training program and he's a starting chaser on the London Lions." The twins looked impressed. "Then there's Nate he's four teen and is studying to take his NEWT's abroad. He's the residential genius." Harry said. "Then there's me."

"I never would have guessed." The twin on the right said.

"Me neither." his brother said.

"Well I have to go I was supposed to meet my dad in his office ten minutes ago." Harry said harsher then he ment to. He was angry that he'd been found out after only a week in school.

"If you ever"

"Need help with a"

"Alibi"

"We're hear for you"

"Oh and I'm Fred Weasley"

"And I'm George Weasley."

"Thanks." Harry said quietly then he quickly left and made his way to his fathers office. Luckily he met no one else on the way.

When he was outside the gargoyle he put its hand on its head and let it read his magical signature. This way he could always get into the office even if he didn't have the password.

He walked up the stairs angrily and went into his dads office. To his surprise it was empty except for Fawkes and the portraits of past headmasters.

"Your parents are in their quarters." Armando Dippet said to Harry when he saw the boy looking around for them.

"Thanks Dippy" Harry said with a small smile. Armando was his favorite portrait in his dads office, he would always tell the children stories about his parents childhood. He knew some really embarrassing stories about his father.

He walked over to a bookshelf and pulled on a old battered copy of _Hogwarts a History_ and the bookshelf swung open revealing the drawing room in the tower. Harry didn't know how the castle did it but when ever someone went through that door they were instantly transported to the tower or vice versa. His father had tried to explain it once but not even Nate had understood the complex concept.

His mother was sitting in a chair and his dad was on the floor a game of chess was between them. From what Harry could tell his mum was crushing his dad once again. He did have to hand it to his father though he never gave up hope. Some times it was almost sad.

"Harry!" his mum said loudly as she stood up and crossed the room to give him a hug.

"G' afternoon mum" he said through his mothers thick robes. It was another few minutes before his dad came over to unclamp him from his mothers arms.

"You look upset." Minerva said after greetings were exchanged and they all sat down.

Harry frowned. "Fred and George Weasley know." He burst out frustration seeping into his voice. His parents eyes got large and serious.

"How?" his father asked all joking out of his voice.

"I don't know. I was taking a passage way here and bumped into them. They said something like hello Harry Potter or should we say McGonagall or Dumbledore. Only I have no idea how they would have found out. I haven't spoken about it to anyone and my journals more warded than most peoples homes." He told his parents in a rush hoping they would know more about it then them.

"Did you tell them anything else?" his father asked.

Harry squirmed guiltily. "I told them that you and mum raised me and that I had brothers and a sister. " he said quietly. "But I also made them swear not to tell anyone."

Albus sighed and rubbed his eyes tiredly. He looked at Harry and Harry had to look away before he broke down and cried at the disappointing gaze. He didn't like it when his parents were angry or when they yelled. But it was nothing to the feeling of when his parents were disappointed in him.

"Lets be thankful it was the Weasley twins and not someone more open mouthed. They may play prank but they do have their honor." Minerva said breaking the odd tension in the room.

"I still think I'll call them into my office later to discuss the importance of keeping secrets later tonight." Albus said in a serious tone.

There was silence for a few minutes before Harry broke the silence. "I..I don't feel well. I'm going back to my dorm." he said his head bowed then he practically ran out of the room.

"But what" Minerva said but he was already out the door. "about lunch."

"Maybe you should go talk to him." Minerva said after a few minutes of staring at the door.

"What? Why?" Albus aid lost in thought.

"Albus!" Minerva said scandalized. "Your son just ran out of the room without so much as saying goodbye. Don't you think it a little odd?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

Albus stared at the door for a few minutes before standing up. "I think your right. Harry's got a lot to worry about." he said mostly to himself before he gave his wife a kiss on the cheek, charmed himself invisible and left to find his son.

---------

The Weasley's twins had been walking towards Gryffindor Tower, still thinking about the shocking revelations, when they saw none other than Harry Potter himself run past them and down the hall. They noticed he looked upset and had seen several tears on his face.

"Do you think that's our fault?" Fred asked his twin.

George winced. "I can't imagine McG or Dumbledore would have been happy about us finding out, but they couldn't have done anything to him. Could they?" George asked quietly suddenly feeling a whole lot less gleeful and a whole lot more guilty for practically forcing Harry to tall them.

"I think we should check just in case." Fred said. They followed the direction they saw Harry run. It only really lead to one place and that was the astronomy tower.

It took them almost ten minutes to climb to the top of the tower. They knew they had found him when they heard small sniffles and gasps for breath from outside the door.

George went in first and Fred came in closely behind. Harry was so obsoarbed in his sorrow that he didn't notice them until Fred called out his name.

"Harry" Fred called quietly. Knowing from experience not to ne too loud. He did after all have two younger siblings and he and George could be serious... sometimes.

Harry startled. He hadn't heard anyone come up. He'd only wanted to be alone for a little. He didn't even know why he started to cry. Everything had just piled up and it all came crashing down when he thought about how so the entire world would know about his parents. His mum and dad would get fired and he and his brothers and sister would be in even more danger. He could possibly even be taken away from his parents.

He took his head out of his lap and rubbed his eyes fiercely. "What are you doing here?" he asked angrily. Though his eyes were red and puffy the green lit up with a fire that said Harry was truly angry.

"We wanted to make sure you were ok." the other twin said quietly.

"And its obvious your not." his brother added.

Harry glared at him and though Fred and George were two years older they found themselves to be slightly intimidated. "Of course I'm not ok. I've been at Hogwarts a week and already I've messed up somehow and you know who I am. Now the whole world will know." he ranted.

"Do you know what will happen to my parents?" he asked. Then not waiting for a answer he moved on. "They'll both be fired form the jobs they love and have been doing since before my father defeated Grindelwald. My father will be discredited and thrown off the wizenmgot. The ministry will want to know who my brothers and sister are putting them and myself in danger. Not to mention they could take me away from my family." He practically screamed the last part as he stood there panting. He had no idea when he had stood up but he did know that something he said must have struck the twins because they looked stricken.

"No one will ever take you away from your mother and I." a voice said from the doorway.

Three heads turned and started at the man standing there. Albus Dumbledore was standing there wearing stylish blue and silver robes a far cry normal brightly colored ones. He had no beard, his hair was shorter and pulled into a tie at the nape of his neck and he looked younger. He looked like the man Harry associated with his father. The twins were completely shocked. Albus didn't care. His son needed him and it would be a cold day in hell when he wasn't there for one of his children. Consequences be damned.

Albus didn't acknowledge them instead he strode forward in four powerful steps and scooped his son into his arms. Holding him close and trying to take all of Harry's pain away.

Harry wrapped his arms around his father neck and held on tightly even though he didn't cry and longer. He just pulled all the comfort he could from his father. Albus held him for a few more moments, comforting him in a way words couldn't before setting him down on the ground again and kneeling in front of him with his large hands on Harry's thin shoulders.

"No force on this earth is strong enough to separate our family. Not even death. No one will ever take you from our home." Albus said passionately his blue eyes glowing with love and fierce determination. "And as for if your mothers and my marriage come to light. Do not worry yourself I have handled far worse ridicule in the past."

"But you could loose everything." Harry said quietly.

"And if it ment my family would be kept together it would be more than worth it." Albus said sincerely.

"Your not angry with me?" Harry asked timidly.

"No Harry, I' not. Right now I want you to come back downstairs with me and Messers Weasley so we can talk about this somewhere more private." Albus said with a gentle smile. The twins looked at each other nervously but from what they had seen their headmaster was a good man and wouldn't be too harsh with them. He treated Harry like their father treated little Ginny. Which they both realized was probably because he was the youngest.

"Ok dad." Harry said with a smile. His dads words were still fresh in his ears and he felt lighter than he had all week.

Albus smiled and kissed his sons forehead before standing up and looking at the Fred and George. "Would you please come to my quarters so we can discus this situation?"

"Yes sir." they said in quiet unison.

"Harry show them the way I'll follow." Albus instructed.

Harry nodded and didn't even blink as his father disappeared in front of his eyes. Instead he turned and walked out the door and headed to his dads office. He was careful to never look at the Weasley twins. He didn't want to see their reaction to finding him crying in the astronomy tower.

The walk was a silent one. Not once did anyone try and make conversation nor did they meet anyone on the way, most everyone was at lunch. When they reached the headmasters office the gargoyle didn't even wait for Harry to put his hand down. It jumped aside as soon as the castle sensed his father coming.

Harry walked up the stairs and into his dads office. The twins only did quick glance around the room showing that they had been here on at least once. Most likely for the pranks they were notorious for having pulled.

His dad entered soon after and became visible as soon as the door was closed.

"I think for this we shall go some where more comfortable." Albus said looking at the three boys standing in his office.

The twins nodded and followed as their headmaster walked through a secret door behind a bookshelf. Harry followed behind the twins and tried not to draw any attention to himself. He just wanted this meeting to be over as soon as possible.

He looked up as he entered the room and had to smile a little at the expression on his mothers face. It looked like she had been lounging on the couch reading a novel when she saw the twins. Now the book was on the floor and her mouth was dropped open in shock.

The twins also found the situation humorous because Harry heard sniggers coming from their mouths behind their hands.

Her green eyes snapped to Albus quicker than anyone expected and she glared at him full force. The boys all felt sorry for the older man in the room, they all knew it was bad when yhe Deputy Headmistress glared like that.

"Albus?" she asked through clenched teeth.

They saw Albus swallow heavily and if he was smart give a quick prayer for safety before answering his irate wife.

"Messers Weasley had already found out our secret. I ran into them when looking for Harry and believed it would be best if we all sat down and talked about this." he said and Harry was impressed. The only sign of his dads increasing nervousness was a thin sween of sweat on his forehead.

Minerva gave him a look that said this wasn't over before turning to the boys. She saw the three meek looking faces looking back at her and raised a eyebrow. "No one here is in any trouble." she said. The twins visibly sagged in relief.

"Except dad." Harry said before he could think about it. It was almost a reflex. The twins laughed out loud. Albus looked at his son angrily but you could tell it was false from the twinkle in his eyes. Minerva looked up to the heavens and mutter something about cheeky sons.

"Come over here boys and sit. There's no use in being uncomfortable." Albus said as he sat next to his wife in the love seat. Harry immediately went to his favorite chair, the one closest to the fire place, and sat down. The twins followed at a more sedate pace and sat next to each other on the sofa.

"Now" Albus said looking mainly at the twins. "You are the first people to discover our secret since James Potter, Harry's father, and his friends went to school here. The knowledge is, as you can tell, very closely guarded. Only a handful of people know the truth and it would be safer for my family if it remained that way. I'm asking you, not as your headmaster, but a man and father to keep our secret."

The twins glanced at each other before Fred spoke. "We hadn't planned on telling anyone about this, sir. It's not our business and we should have never gotten involved in the first place." he said the last part in a remorseful way.

"Thank you. I will certainly sleep better now." Albus said with a smile.

"I'd like to know how you got 'involved' in the first place." Minerva stated with narrowed eyes. She hadn't forgotten her sons exit from the room or his slightly red eyes.

"Well er, you see" George faltered. "It's a secret."

This time Minerva, Harry and Albus stared at them expectantly.

George sighed and scowled slightly. "We have a map of Hogwarts that shows where anyone is given any time."

Everyone's eyes but the twins bulged out. "That's and impressive piece of magic." Albus commented. Harry nodded while thinking of the pranks he could pull with something like that. it was no wonder the twins had a reputation for mischief.

"Did you make it?" Minerva asked curiously. Wondering if the third years could create something so amazing.

"No. We, aquired, it during our first year and have been using it since." Fred said.

"Do you know who did make?" Albus asked. He was now wondering who could have done it.

"Not by name." George said.

"But we do know it was made by a group called the Mauraders." Fred finished.

Harry's eyes shot up as he heard the name of the group. His parents had of course told him every story the knew about his father's group of pranksters.

Albus started laughing out loud and Minerva looked as if a question that had been bothering her for sometime was answered.

"Of course it was them." Albus said with a chuckle.

"Now why we didn't see that coming?" Minerva asked her husband sarcastically.

"Do you know who the Mauraders were?" Fred asked. He and his brother and long ago resolved to worship who ever they were.

"My dad was Prongs, Remus Lupin was Moony, Peter Pettigrew was wormtail, and Sirius Black was Padfoot." Harry answered saying the last name in distaste.

The twins looked at him in ill disguised awe before slightly evil grins spread over their faces. "Oh son of mighty Prongs, I have a feeling we will be great friends." George said.

"Best friends."

"Brothers even." Harry understood perfectly well. They were pranksters. That's what they did and now they find him to be the son of their icon. They want to work with him in creating chaos. Something he had much experience in. Living in the same house with his dad, Evan, and Nate had to teach him something.

Harry looked at them with a small smirk of mischief before turning to his parents and smiling sweetly at them. "I think we've taken up enough of your time. Why don't we go back to the tower." The twins nodded hurriedly and the three of them turned to walk out the door. For a moment it looked as if they would get free, but Albus stern voice stopped all of them.

"Harry?"

Harry turned around slowly. To his surprise his dad was smiling slightly.

"So long as none of your grades drop I think this old castle could use a few harmless pranks." He said looking at the three of them with twinkling eyes.

Harry laughed and quickly pulled a dumbstruck Fred and George from the room, before his mum could tell him the opposite. As they closed the door they could hear his mother yelling at his father.

Harry glanced sideways at the stunned pair before offering his hand. "Partners?" he said with mischief written on every curve of his face.

The twins each bore identical grins as the shook his hand.

-----------

Later that night he collapsed into bed, after an exhausting day of planning pranks and regaling the twins with stories of the original Mauraders. So far they had excellent ideas. Harry's advanced knowledge was helping the trio out immensely.

'Evan will be so proud' Was the last thing he thought before he dropped into peaceful dreams of the choas soon to come.

A/N

Here's the 8th chappy hope you like it. Tell me what you think.

Also about Harrys break down. I know its out of character but this Harry isn't the same Harry from Canon. He's never really had to deal with any problems on his own. He's lived a very easy life filled with a supportive family. This doesn't mean he'll be a complete whimp. He'll buck up.


	10. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Harry Potter, except for those awsome copies of the books.

Harry had, of course, heard the saying that time fly's when your having fun, but he'd never truly experienced it until now. It was Halloween and he'd been at Hogwarts for almost two months. At first he hadn't wanted to come at all but now he couldn't imagine not being here. He told himself it was the magic of Hogwarts, but he knew it was really because he was finally allowed around magical kids his own age. Everyday he found a new reason to love his new life style.

His new friends were the best part of Hogwarts. Seamus was his best friend. His bright and bubbly personality was reminiscent of Nathan's and helped lessen the hurt from being separated from his brother and closest confident. They went to all of their classes together, sat together ate meals and even studied together. Seamus also didn't have a problem with Harry making friends with Slytherins.

His other best friends were, to the shock of everyone who didn't know him, his two Slytherin friends. Daphne Greengrass and Blaise Zabini. He was close to the pair and felt as if he could really trust them despite what everyone else said.

Daphne was his closest confident. He told her everything. With the exception of who had raised his and his brothers and sisters. He told her about how he grew up. His likes and dislikes. He told her his fears that the wizarding world wouldn't except him. He told her how he hated all the attention he got for something he couldn't even remember. He told her about how he would be the best in the school not for everyone else but for himself.

Blaise was different. He was really very quiet. He only talked to people he truly trusted and then he only spoke when he deemed it necessary. One thing that had surprised Harry was that Blaise had a liking for pranks and often gave the twins and Harry that last piece of information they needed for a successful prank. Of course he only ever did it after watching them search the library for at least an hour first. He told Harry in a innocent voice that fooled no one that it was to help them build study skills. Harry didn't believe him.

He had a good relationship with the twins. They seemed to look at him like a younger brother or a prank apprentice. Hogwarts had been riddled with pranks ever since he got the go ahead from his father, but nothing big so far, they were still planning. The latest one had given the entire school purple skin for the day. His mother had been furious and had actually glared at him for a entire lesson, but his father had met him in the halls 'by chance' and awarded him and the twins ten points for a ingenious use of the dyeing potion. Evan had wrote him a mock sappy letter complete with tear stains telling him how proud he was.

When he was in Gryffindor tower he spent most of his time with his year mates and the only person he actively avoided was Hermione Granger. Every time she saw him she glared at him. Harry at first thought it would fun to have some rivalry for top placement but she took it completely out of proportion. The only thing he ever saw her do was study and he knew from the school grape vine that her essays were always at least two feet longer than they needed to be. Harry thought it was kind of sad that she took school work so seriously.

In terms of school work Harry was bored. So far he knew all the theoretical aspects and all he had to do in class was work on the practical parts, which he always got quickly. He'd become so bored that he had started to do some self study. He tried not to do any Hogwarts curriculum because then classes would be even more boring if he knew everything the professors would teach, so he worked on more obscure branches of magic. Most of them had some ways to help him with his prank playing. Right now his focus was wards. He got so interested in them that he asked his dad if he could borrow some more of the rare books they had in the headmasters library.

The whole school thought he was a genius and all of the extra attention was starting to get on his nerves. His popularity had only increased when he'd helped the twins with their homework. The only reason he knew the information was because it was on the animagus transformation something their mother had explained several times in depth to the children.

Even though Harry was having more fun now at Hogwarts than almost ever before there were still several things that bothered him. First off was that he barely ever got to spend anytime with his parents. He'd seen them only three times privately since he'd arrived. That was more that most students at Hogwarts saw their parents but for him it was torturous. His life had revolved around his family before he came to school. He'd spent almost every waking moment with his family. Now he barely saw them.

Another thing that was bothering him was that Snape the potions master was more horrible to him than ever. A class hadn't gone by where he wasn't given detention or had points taken from him. His work was done expertly and still the highest grade he he was received was a 'A'. He hadn't told his parents yet, he was bidding his time, but he was really starting to get angry. In every other class he was either at the top of the class or near the top. Potions was bringing down his average. But still he didn't complain to anyone not even his class mates. All he did was keep each of his unfairly marked essays and he currently had several memories to share with his father about Snape's underhanded teaching methods. If things weren't better by Christmas he was going to go to his father.

There was no way he would come second in the year in exams because someone was cheating him, so he'd taken to studying potions during his free periods. He would brew the potions from the text book in an empty classroom and if he needed help or didn't understand the theory he would write to Nate. Nate was always happy to help and always wrote him good tricks to make his potions turn out better. From his self study he was already halfway through the first year text, about two months ahead of his year mates. As he mostly did two or three potions every Tuesday and Thursday.

Nothing truly exciting had happened since school started. Their flying lesson had been disrupted when Neville Longbottom fell from his out of control broom and broke his wrist, marring a visit to the hospital wing. Draco Malfoy had seen an opportunity to be a prat and had picked up Neville's dropped remembrall and was going to do something cruel, when Harry had summoned it from him. Thus ending the confrontation.

The summoning charm had been one of the only advanced spells from the curriculum that he learned. He was lazy enough to use it constantly. It had taken him until the beginning of October to master it but it had been deemed well worth it when he no longer had to get up to get his things.

Today was Halloween and he was supposed to go to his birth parents grave. His mum and dad had brought him to the Potter family cemetery every year. This year Halloween landed on a Friday so he would go after lessons. The twins and Nathan would meet them there.

Lessons passed slowly. Transfiguration was boring as they were doing the same thing from the last lesson because only three people had managed tho get there quill to turn into a goblet. Harry was one of those people, so with his mums permission he spent the period reading a text on the magical history of Rome.

In history he didn't even bother to pay attention. He just continued reading his book and blocked out everything Binns said. In the past two months he'd heard enough about Goblin rebellions to last a lifetime. Plus his books was getting interesting.

Charms had been yet another useless class. He had mastered the levitation charm the first week of school and they were just now working on controlling it. Some people had yet to even manage to make the feather float. Flitwick had forbidden him from finishing his book and had made him help the people who hadn't managed the charm yet.

So here he was exasperating himself with trying to teach Neville the charm. The boy had gotten better at transfiguration under Harry's instruction but he was still useless at charms.

"No, Nev, your not flicking. It looks like your trying to gouge my eye out." Harry said with a tired grin. "Try being more gentle. Let the movement flow, you can't force it. Like this" he said as he demonstrated his perfect wand movement.

Neville lips twitched before a look of concentration overcame his face. He brandished his wand and copied Harry exactly while saying the incantation. To both Harry and Neville's surprise the feather rose a foot in to air before Neville's shock broke his concentration.

"I did it." Neville said dumbly staring at the feather as it touched his desk.

Harry smiled truly for the first time. "Good job Nev. I knew you'd get it" he said as he clapped the still stunned boy on the back.

"Yes very good job Mr. Longbottom." Professor Flitwick said as he came up from behind the boys. "Ten points to Gryffindor. Now you need to work on your control and you'll have the charm mastered in no time." the cheery man said as he walked to the back of the class again.

A small smile curled around Neville's lips as he basked in the feelings of his accomplishment. It was the first time he'd won any house points outside of herbology.

"Well if your so smart you do it." Harry heard Ron say loudly dragging his attention to the back of the room along with the rest of the class. Harry knew he'd been having trouble with his feather and apparently Flitwick had paired him with Hermione Granger to help him. Even Harry wasn't that stupid. Everyone knew Ron had a volital temper and that Hermione had a uncomprehensible urge to prove herself superior to everyone around her. It was a explosion waiting to happen.

Hermione shot Ron a smug look before preforming the spell herself. Flitwick being oblivious to what was going on gave Hermione ten points for her mastery of the spell. Rons face was red and he looked like he was ready to burst.

Harry shook his head sadly. He couldn't for the life of him understand why the girl was like that. It was ok to be better at people at something's than other people, but why did she have to rub it into everyone's faces. Harry knew he was ahead of everyone else, including Hermione but he didn't feel the need to let everyone know.

"She's never going to make any friends like that." Neville said. Harry privately agreed with him but didn't say anything out loud.

"Lets work on your control." Harry said redirecting their focus.

The rest of the class went by without any further interruptions. By the end of the period Neville had almost perfect control over his feather. He and Harry had even raced their feathers around the room until Neville lost control of his and it hit the professor in the back of the head. Instead of getting angry like most adults would he laughed, awarded the boys five points and started a race for the whole class. Harry had won it, beating Hermione by two feet at least.

He was walking out of the lesson with Ron, Seamus and Neville and the three boys were listening to Ron rant.

"She's horrible." he said angrily. "It's no wonder she hasn't got any friends."

Harry frowned and was about to tell Ron off when someone pushed by them and ran away their face in their hands. The bushy hair was a tell tail sign that it was defiantly Hermione, the person Ron was talking about.

"I think she heard you, mate." Seamus said with a disapproving frown on his face.

"You should go apologize Ron." Harry said looking at Ron with a stern eyes reminiscent of his mother.

"Why should I? I was telling the truth." Ron said heatedly his ears turning red.

Harry stared at him trying to find out if he was serious or not. He was. With a glare at the rude red head he turned on his heal and swept off back to the common room, taking a longer route but one away from Ron. Neville and Seamus followed him.

The three boys reached the common room and dropped their stuff off. Ron wasn't back yet. Harry hoped he was apologizing, but somehow he doubted it.

"Do you wanna play snap Harry?" Seamus asked as he plopped down on his bed..

"I can't I have somewhere to be and I have to leave." Harry said vaguely as pulled some dress clothes out of his trunk. Before anyone could ask any more questions he disappeared into the bathroom.

Ten minutes later he stepped out looking similar to how he was dressed when he was on the train. In fact only the shirt was different. This shirt was all black and had silky black stitching. His hair was combed and styled as neatly as he could make it and his cloak was held in his arm.

"What's up with the clothes?" Seamus asked worried about his friend. He looked sad and usually he didn't dress up. Most of the time he wore the school uniform, some lounge robes, or some comfortable muggle clothes.

"OH" Neville said suddenly looking at Harry with sympathy. "I'm sorry Harry I completely forgot."

Harry smiled slightly from where he was lacing his dragon hide dress shoes. "You don't have to apologize. You didn't do anything wrong."

Seamus looking to Neville for help. He was the only one who didn't know what was wrong with his friend and it was bothering him. Neville stared at him then looked pointedly to a picture of Lily and James Potter that was on Harry's bedside table.

Harry stood up and put on his cloak as Seamus finally got what was going on. Today was the day when his best friends parents had died and he had forgot. He was a complete prat.

"Oh Merlin Harry! How you must feel." he said as he jumped off his bed and went to give Harry a bone crushing hug

"...Air...Please." Harry gasped.

Seamus let go and immediately started fussing and fixing the wrinkles he'd put in Harry's clothes.

"Thank you Seamus." Harry said dryly with a smile at his friend. At least he knew he cared. No one could give someone a hug like that and not mean it.

"How are you getting their?" Neville asked curiously.

"The headmasters going to meet me outside the common room at four and let me floo form his office." Harry said not lying once.

"Wow! that's so cool you'll be in Dumbledore office. I hear its amazing." Seamus said brightly. "I want details when you get back." he demanded with his hands on his hips.

Harry rolled his eyes. "I've already seen the Headmasters office."

"What? When?" Seamus demanded.

"The first night of term we had to talk." Harry reminded his friend.

"Tell me everything you remember." Seamus said pulling Harry towards his bed and forcing him to sit down.

"Yes mother." Harry said but complied anyway being sure not to give away to many details. He just told the two eagerly listening boys about the phoenix and the portraits.

At five to four he left his friends and went down to meet his father. When he was in the common room he saw Ron sitting in a chair happily playing chess with a second year Harry didn't know. Hermione was no where in sight.

Harry may not like the girl but he knew it was wrong to make people fel like that. He'd been teased very few times but he remembered how much it hurt and could only imagine that Hermione must have been teased her whole life and that was why she acted the way she did.

He walked out of the common room and just like he expected his dad was waiting for him.

"Hello Harry. You look quite dashing, if I do say so myself." Albus said then he noticed the faintly angry look on his sons face. He wandlessly put up a mild perimeter to alert his if anyone was coming and a silencing charm to stop anyone from over hearing them before asking what was wrong.

"Nothing." Harry said with a forced smile. Albus looked at his son over his false half moon glasses. Briefly Harry noticed how ridiculous his father looked wearing bright orange and black robes, but pushed the thought aside. In his first two months as a student he'd seen him wear worse.

"It's just Ron. He said some really mean things about a girl today and the girl overheard. She ran away crying and Ron refuses to apologize." Harry said frustration lacing his voice. "What kind of person does that? Doesn't he know he hurt her feelings and that he should say sorry?"

"Most young boys are rather inconsiderate at his age." Albus said wisely. Harry looked at his father doubtfully. Ron was the first boy like that Harry had met. Albus saw the doubt full look.

"When I was a young boy-" Albus said with the air of a story teller.

"All those years and years ago." Harry interjected with a grin. It was a natural reaction.

Albus shot him a glare but otherwise ignored him. "I set Headmaster Dippets office on fire a number of times and his beard once. Of course I sent him the warmest and softest pair of socks I could afford as a apology."

Harry looked at his father to see if he was serious. He was. Harry burst out laughing, relishing at how good it felt to be in his father presence again without acting like strangers. "How... how did you manage that?" Harry asked out of breath.

Albus's face took on a thought full look. "Well when I was a first year I was the bane of my professor's existence. For the first two months of lessons every time I tried to do magic, even the simplest charms, something would catch a light.

"My teachers were at their wits end when it was decided that it was the headmasters responsibility to teach me to control my powers. We had private lessons in his office four nights a week for a month. I did of course eventually learn to control myself but Headmaster Dippets office never really was the same."

Harry looked curiously at his father. He had never heard anything about this and his father told them stories of his life all the time. "What was the problem?" he asked curiously.

"Well it all came down to control. I was a very powerful child but had no concept of controlling my powers, so they lashed out so to speak. Thus creating the fire." Albus explained simply.

"That's actually the reason your mother and I signed you up for karate lessons when you were young." he added as an after thought.

Harry thought it over and it did make a lot of sense. He was great full for the karate because it did give him great concentration and self control.

"But why fire." Harry asked.

Albus shrugged. "Headmaster Dippet swore I was a pyromaniac who was set on destroying the last threads of his sanity." Harry started laughing again. He could just imagine how that conversation had gone. "I think his exact words" Albus continued. "were 'Albus, my lad, your driving me spare.'"

That had both father and son laughing until they reached the heads office. They only stopped when they saw that Minerva was waiting somewhat impatiently for them to return.

"Your late." she said before they could speak. For a moment it looked as if she might yell, but instead she launched herself to Harry and practically strangled him.

It took the combined forces of Harry and his father to pry the witch off her son. "Well" Harry said looking at her critically. "At least you didn't cry this time."

Albus laughed and Minerva glared before smiling slightly as well. "I have been rather emotional. Haven't I?" she said rhetorical. Harry nodded vehemently. Every time he'd seen her alone she'd burst into tears. He'd even seen her teary eyed in class.

"Albus go get dressed." Minerva order changing the subject completely. It was only then that he noticed she wasn't wearing any bulky teacher robes. She was wearing a simple but elegant pair of black robes and high heeled black boots.

Albus looked as if he was going to refuse but he only had to look at his wife to realize how stupid it was of him to try and argue. He would never win. He knew it and so did Minerva.

He turned and walked sulkily to his rooms, much to Minerva and Harry's amusement. He was a grown man who acted like a child more often than not.

Minerva and Harry sat down to wait. Harry lounging in his fathers chair with one leg over the leg rest and Minerva in a red tartan arm chair.

"How are you, Harry?" Minerva asked looking at him seriously.

"I'm fine. Classes are easy though. I thought they'd be more challenging." Harry said while digging around his fathers desk for one of his prized lemon drops.

"That's not what I ment." Minerva said not taking her eyes off her son.

Harry shrugged and popped one of the sour yellow candies in his mouth. Minerva noticed he looked quite like her husband when thinking. His hand even stoked his chin in his silent contemplation.

"Do you think my real parents are happy about how things turned out? About you and dad raising me I mean." Harry finally asked.

"I know that Lily and James loved you more than life itself and I also know they wanted nothing more for you to be happy. If your happy I'm positive that they are." Minerva said.

"Do you think their, er, jealous?" Harry asked.

"About what?"

"That I live with you and dad and not them."

"Of course not Harry. that's one of the most absurd things I've heard all day and I live with your father." she said fiercely. The joke didn't affect Harry.

"I love you and dad and I couldn't imagine my life without my family. Do you think their mad because if I had to choose between the two I'd choose you and dad?" Harry said with despair slipping into his voice.

"Harry, dear, its only natural to say that. You will never have to choose. It's not possible. I know Lily and James are happy you found a family to love, even if it's not with them."

"You think?" Harry asked looking at his mother with a mixture of hope and awe. He'd never thought of it that way. Lately he'd been feeling as if he be betraying either his birth parents or his mum and dad, if he admitted to loving one more than the other.

He loved Lily and James Potter because they were his parents and had given their lives for him but he didn't know them. All he had were stories from his parents about them at school.

"I know." Minerva said with a reassuring smile. Harry grinned back and popped another lemon drop in his mouth.

They sat for another five minutes in comfortable silence before Albus reentered the room.

"Albus you do realize you take longer to get dressed than I do right?" Minerva said as soon as he walked in looking as he normally did. Short hair, no beard, and wearing slacks, a black shirt and a long dark cloak that would work in either the muggle or magical world.

"Do you know how hard it is to find clothes in my closet?" he said with a dark look over his shoulder, presumably at said closet.

"Maybe if you were more organized you wouldn't have that problem."

Albus snapped his mouth shut and turned toward Harry looking affronted. "I'm no longer speaking with your mother." he declared.

Harry laughed at his dad before becoming serious again. "How are we getting their?" he asked.

"Port-key." Albus answered with an apologetic smile towards his son. "It was the only way I could think of getting us there unseen."

"Is everyone ready?" Minerva asked. The boys confirmed and Albus took a old quill out of his pocket.

"On the count of three then."

Harry put his hand on the quill and before he was ready he felt a pull behind his navel as he was pulled toward the Potter family cemetery.

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It was seven o'clock before Harry and his parents arrived back at the castle. They had met with Evan, Elizabeth and Nate at the cemetery so that the family could be all together even if for only a little while.

Harry had visited his parents grave. He told them what he usually did. He missed them, wished they had gotten to know each other better. Then told them what he'd been doing since he last visited. When he'd been younger he used to tell them everything in the hopes that they could hear him, but now talking to an empty graveyard filled him with a hollow feeling that he couldn't identify.

After his visit the family had lunch in a small inn in Godric's Hallow. The meal that would have normally been a source of great entertainment for Harry had the opposite effect on him.

Nathan had been distant barely talking to anyone even Harry and not eating. Harry had tried to talk to him several times but Nate had stopped him with a look or a rude word so that Harry had given up. Nathan wound up leaving early with short goodbyes.

The entire meeting had left Harry angry and confused. Angry because Nate had brushed him off so simply and harshly. And confused that Nate wouldn't try and talk to him. They had shared everything since before Harry could remember.

He came out of the floo in his fathers office and didn't even notice when he landed upright. He was still lost in thought. He bid his parents goodbye as they went to the feast and he slowly walked around the castle to gather his thoughts.

He didn't know why Nate was being distant and now that he thought of it his last few letters had been short and vague. He huffed to himself and decided that he'd write Nate later and tell him off for being a prat and then ask him what was wrong. If his brother ignored that then Nate could shove off.

He looked at his wrist watch and saw that it was already eight o'clock. The feast should be in full swing but Harry didn't want to go and pretend to be happy. He did that too much as it was.

He headed towards Gryffindor tower while thinking of the letter he would write to Nathan. He was putting the finishing touches on all the scathing words he would write when he heard a piercing scream.

He stopped and listened to see if it was just a figment of his imagination. Nothing happened for almost a full minute. He was calling himself barmy when he heard another scream rip through the air.

Without thinking he ran towards the sound. He didn't know what was wrong but by the sound of the scream it couldn't be anything good. He ran down the corridor and turned left.

There was nothing there. He listened for indication of which way to go when he heard a muffled crash coming from the girls loo on his right.

He sprinted over the door and pulled it open. Then he froze in shock, having no idea what to do.

In front of him swinging a club wildly was a fifteen foot high mountain troll. He pondered for a moment how it had gotten into the school before the troll swung his club, demolishing a bathroom stall. Someone screamed again shaking Harry from his shock.

There was a girl, cowering under a sink. A familiar girl with bushy brown hair and a sink the troll was aiming to smash next.

Harry didn't know what to do. He'd never been in a situation like this. He barely even knew any magic. And everything he did know was useless in a situation like this or he didn't have the mastery he needed. The only non first year spell he knew and had mastered was the summoning charm.

Doing the only thing he could think of he raised his wand and concentrated. "Accio debris." he yelled hoping with every fiber of his being that his half with plan worked.

To his amazement and prided his plan worked. All of the debris that the troll had caused came flying at the troll who was standing exactly in front of Harry.

Harry watched with delight as a large block of stone flew towards the trolls head. There was a resounding thud and then the troll started to fall. Harry looked over to where Hermione was sitting staring at him in a mixture of surprise and incredibility before he realized the flaw in his oh so wonderful plan.

He hadn't accounted what would happen to the summoned debris when the troll fell. Before he had time to think of a way to save himself from being crushed from a pile of rubbish, he felt a blinding pain in his temple, then all he knew was darkness.

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Hello all. Hope you liked my latest chappy. I didn't want to make it too much like canon so this is what you get. Tell me if you like it.

I might not be able to get the next chapter out by next week. I have a 1000 words done and typed but my moms leaving for Cali on tuesday and she'll be gone for a fortnight. If you know anything at all about teens who live in the suburbs you'd know that there should be a large number of parties in my future. So sorry but I've been neglecting my social life and Susan is leaving me with $300. Its something I can't not do.


	11. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: No I don't own Harry Potter, though it'd be really cool if I did.

Harry felt himself waking up from what felt like a long sleep. His bed felt different from what he was accustom, stiffer. It wasn't his bed in his dorm or even one of the beds at the cottage or family manors. The air smelt different too. It smelt too clean with a mixture of potions.

He opened his eyes and was slightly shocked to find himself in a dark hospital wing. How had he gotten here? The last thing he remembered was coming home from Godric's Hallow and then walking to Gryffindor Tower and then-. "Oh." he said out loud as he finally remembered what had happened.

Hermione Granger had been attacked by a troll and he had gone off to save her. He also probably hurt himself more than the troll.

"Harry!" a voice called out in a excited whisper. He recognized the voice as belonging to Evan.

"Hey Evan." Harry said his voice slightly horse form lack of use. He could see the outline of a person sitting in a chair next to his bed.

The next thing he knew he was being hugged tightly. Why did everyone do that to him? Did he have a sign hanging above him that said he didn't need to breath or something?

"Thank Merlin your awake. Every ones been so worried." Evan said as he let his youngest brother go.

"What happened?" Harry asked. "I don't remember anything after I got hit in the head."

"Well." Evan said in a amused voice. "You were hit in the head with a toilet seat."

Harry gasped. "What? Swear to me that you'll never tell that to any one. If any one asks I was knocked out by a piece of the castle or something more dignified. Merlin I was knocked out by a toilet seat."

Evan laughed at him and Harry glared at Evan. "Its not funny." Harry said grumpily as he sat up and crossed his arms like a angry child.

Evan sobered. "No its not. You've been unconscious for four days." Harry gapped at him not even able to come up with a good reply. "Mum and dad have been going mad. Lizzy had to force them to go to bed tonight. They've been here every night. Me and Lizzy came as soon as we heard and we've stayed with you during the day."

Harry still looked at his brother shocked. It hadn't felt anything like four days. It felt like he'd just been knocked out, but it did explain why his head didn't hurt.

"Has Nate been here?" Harry asked noticing the lack of mentioning his other brothers name. He remembered that his brother was being a prat, but he didn't think he wouldn't visit him if he was hurt.

Evan hesitated telling Harry all he needed to know. "He said he couldn't get away, but he sent you a present." Evan said with a weak grin holding out a small wrapped box.

Harry took it eagerly. Maybe it would explain why Nate wasn't hear? He ripped the paper off and looked at what his brother had sent him.

There was a box of chocolate frogs and a note that said.

'Get well soon

Nate'

Harry stared at it. That was it. No apology. Nothing more personal. They were supposed to be brothers not to mention best friends. What had happened to Nate since he left home?

Harry took the box and chucked it. Not caring if he woke the hospital matron. They had promised each other that they wouldn't keep any secrets from each other and it hurt that Nate was so distant. Was Nate growing up and leaving Harry behind? Or was it something else.

"Why's he doing this?" Harry asked quietly completely confused.

"He's been out of sorts for a while." Evan answered surprising Harry. He'd forgotten Evan was here. "Mum and dad have been worried. He hasn't come home since September and when he has seen anyone he's been distant."

"How come no one told me?" Harry asked angrily. Merlin it sounded as if Nate was depressed or something. If he'd known he could have helped.

"If you'd known what would you have done? You couldn't go see him. Mum and dad thought you were stressed out enough without having to worry about Nate. They honestly thought he'd snap out of it when he saw you again." Evan explained. Harry hated to do it but he admitted that he could do little or nothing while he was in school and he couldn't just up and leave. It would cause too many questions.

"How come I'm not crushed into something hardly recognizable?" Harry asked not wanting to talk about Nate anymore. He would have to figure that out by himself.

"Well the teachers noticed the noise from the attack and ran to the scene. Mum was with them. They opened the door just as you got bashed in the head, and you know how good mum's reflexes are. She snapped her wand out and had a shield protecting you in a instant." They shared grins. In their house hold Minerva's reflexes were legendary. Albus said it was a trait passed over from her animagus transformation.

"So now the whole school found out and everyone's been talking about mum. And since the school knows the press knows. She's had to redirect her mail to the house elves, she'd been getting so many thank you cards and presents."

"At least dad wont be short of sweets for a while." Harry jokingly added. Evan laughed and agreed with a nod.

The conversation would have continued but as soon as Evan opened his mouth to say something else Madame Pomfrey bustled into the room. She was reading a clip board and checking something's off with her wand so for the first few minutes she didn't notice anything.

Harry looked at Evan who's eyes were wide as he tried to suppress laughter. She still hadn't noticed that her only patients was awake. As soon as their eyes met they both burst out laughing startling Madame Pomfrey so bad she actually tripped backwards over a bed pan.

This of course made them laugh even harder. Evan of course being ever the gentleman got up to see if she was alright but by the time he got to her she was standing and seething mad.

"OUT! Get out and don't come back until tomorrow." She screamed at Evan, who left the room chuckling at the look of dawning horror on Harry's face.

Harry watched in slight fear as she sent him a glare then made her way to the potions cabinet. She rummaged around for a few minutes before making a cluck of approval as she found the right vial.

"Drink this." she said holding out a foul greenish brown potion.

Harry cringed. He'd forgotten rule number three on the list of life rules his father had told him about. Never anger any nurse, they have control of the potions you drink. That came just after number two women are always right and number one his mother word was law. He didn't really understand rule two but he sure did understand three now. The potion looked like something that had already been eaten once and it smelt even worse.

"Er, I'm fine." he said weakly pushing the vial way from himself and avoiding the eyes of the angry healer.

"I'll be the judge of that Mr. Potter. Now drink." Harry sent her his darkest glare but she batted it away and stared him down making him feel four years old again until he took the foul concoction. He refused to call it a potion.

He brought the potion up to his mouth and held his nose before swallowing. It tasted even worse than he'd imagined. He was sure there were still chunks. He also knew that his taste buds were permanently scarred.

Thankfully before he could finish the potion he was knocked out again.

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The next time he woke up it was day light and the hospital wing was brightly lit. He felt better than before and could honestly find nothing wrong with himself.

"Harry!" a female voice cried before he was once again smothered. He tried to breath but it was difficult when his head was being squeezed with such ferocity.

"Daphne!" he said in slight surprise when he was released and finally aloud to she who had been suffocating him. She looked a bit tired and had slight bags under her eyes. He faced darkened immediately at hearing the surprise in his voice. It wasn't that he didn't want her here he just didn't think she would hug with such affection as she was normally a reserved person. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I'm aloud to visit a friend aren't I?" she asked a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

"Of course. It's fantastic to see you, in fact you're my best visitor yet." Harry said. Making sure she knew she was wanted. She never said anything but Harry noticed she often seconded guessed herself even though she played it off most off the time.

"I'm your first visitor there's not exactly a lot of competition, is there?" Harry just smiled at her while thinking of Evans visit the night before. He was going to have to get his brother back for abandoning him like that.

"Not to be rude or anything, but shouldn't you be in class right now?"

Daphne defied logic and shrugged elegantly, a move that had probably taken years to perfect. "Watching you sleep seemed more interesting than History." she drawled.

"I'm fascinating I know." Harry quipped.

Daphne rolled her eyes but didn't respond. Instead she took out a bag full of books and parchment and dumped it onto his bed. "You're missed assignments I believe." she said with a wicked grin.

"But...but there's no home work on weekends!" he shouted desperately looking at the huge pile of work in dismay. Then he really looked at the books. Most of them weren't even school books. How could they be his homework?

He was broken out of his thoughts as Daphne laughed out loud startling him slightly. "You're much to gullible Harry." she said in a mack sad voice.

Harry stared at her. She had tricked him. Oh she was so going to get it. He would dye her pink or maybe stick her to the ceiling of the potions classroom or something equally as horrible.

"That was mean." he said with an irresistible pout.

"You would have done the same or worse to me." She replied with a smile before sitting on the edge of Harry's bed. "In reality you only missed today's work and anything you didn't have done for the weekend."

"I had all my work done." Harry said with a shrug. He was happy that he had only missed one day of lessons. It meant he wasn't left behind in any of the material even though he doubted he wouldn't be able to catch up.

"I collected your work from your teachers and so far you've only missed charms and history. You have to read chapter seven in history and then write and essay about the importance of control in wand movements." Daphne told him. Then handed him two text books.

Harry looked at the text books then looked at Daphne. He pushed the books to the other side of his rather large bed and left them there for the time being. "I'll do it later. Right now I need your help."

"With what?" she asked. She had been placed in Slytherin after all.

Harry leaned his head close to her and as an extra precaution put a small muffling charm around them to avoid being over heard.

"I need you to distract the Dragon Lady so I can make a run for it." Harry said completely seriously.

The flicker in Daphne's eyes was the only indication of her surprise. "What's in it for me?" she asked.

"My undying gratitude." Daphne looked at him expectantly. "I'll show you a spell that will turn Snape's hot pink and extremely bushy."

"Acceptable." Daphne said in a haughty voice. Harry grinned at her knowing it was more of an act than anything else.

"Here's what you'll be doing..." Harry begun.

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A little over an hour later one Harry Potter walked into the last lesson for the day, which just so happened to the one that his mother taught.

He walked up to the door and leaned up against the wall. Even though he would never admit to it he was a little bit tired and his legs were a bit wobbly. Before he could even put his bag on the ground the door was practically flung open and he was dragged in.

'I really should be used to this.' He thought to himself as he gave up the useless struggle to free himself from his mothers iron grip. To his horror she was once again crying.

"I'm sorry dear, I know you hate it when I cry all over you. I was just so worried." she said tearfully as she dabbed her eyes with one of his fathers hankies.

Harry felt the guilt well up inside his stomach. His mum worried if one of her children scrapped their knee. She was probably frantic when he went into a coma. His elation at escaping the hospital wing disappeared in one swoop and was replaced with a gut wrenching guilt.

"I'm sorry." he apologized unable to meet her eye.

His mother straightened and sniffed one last time. "What you did was very noble, very stupid, but also very noble. Your lucky you weren't killed. Your father an I will speak to you about it after classes." Harry's shoulders drooped even lower. "We're not angry, Harry, just concerned." she said then squeezed his shoulder one last time before going to let the other students in the class room.

Seamus was one of the last people in the class and Harry noticed he to looked at little worse for wear. He didn't even look up as he walked threw towards the desk he shared with Harry.

"Hi Seamus." Harry said brightly causing his friend to jump slightly in shock.

"HARRY!" he yelled out completely forgetting they were in class as he pulled his friend into Harry's third bone crushing hug in the past hour and a half. "Your ok." he breathed.

Harry grinned knowing that Seamus was a true friend and not just a groupie like most of the wizarding children he'd met. "Of course. I'm invincible" he said simply with a charming smile.

Minerva cleared her throat loudly interrupting the moment as loath as she was to do it. She had to keep appearances up.

The lesson commenced and the class was still working on turning one object into something of the same class into something larger. It was dreadfully boring to Harry who had picked up the technique a week ago but he knew that before they could do anything harder the entire class needed a tentative control on their magic.

Nothing out of the ordinary happened even Hermione Granger was still glaring at him but this time in between looks of confusion. The bell range and as he was expecting his mum called him to remain behind.

He stayed sitting while the rest of the class emptied the classroom. Seamus sent him an inquiring look but Harry waved him off with a tired sweep of his hand. He really was exhausted now. His initial burst of energy was completely spent and it took all of his will power not to put his head down on his desk and close his eyes to the world.

The door snapped shut smartly and woke him up from his thoughts. He stood up and grabbed his bag turning his head away from his mum as a silent yawn escaped his mouth.

"Harry dear?" his mother asked.

He turned to her and knew he was caught. She was leaning against her desk and looked for lack of better words like the cat who caught the canary. Her glasses were on the tip of her nose and she was looking at him with the dark green eyes. Her lips were smirking slightly but other wise her face looked very stern.

"Yea mum." he said as innocently as possible, knowing he was just delaying the inevitable.

"I got the strangest owl earlier, during class." She said everything calmly but her eyes were flashing with a fire that Harry had never been up against alone. If he hadn't known his mother loved him and put his safety above her own he would have been afraid for his life.

His voice and mind failed him when he tried to think of a valid excuse for what he'd done.

"Do you want to know what it said?" she asked but didn't give him enough time to answer. "It was a letter from Madame Pomfrey saying that she'd been locked and barricaded to her office and," his mothers voice started to raise in pitch and Harry involuntarily took three steps back. There was no question in his mind if his mother was as powerful as his father. He could feel power rolling off her in waves from her unraveling emotions. "and it said her hospital wing was covered in PINK PLAY DOUGH AND THAT HER COMA PATIENT WAS MISSING!" she roared.

Harry's eyes were wide and he stared at his mother in terror. He'd never seen his mother like this. He'd never seen anyone like this. Sure he'd been yelled at plenty of times but this was different. All of his mothers anger was directed at him with no one there to share the load.

Minerva took a deep breath and was about to start yelling again when a firm voice interrupted her train of thought.

"I think he's got the message love." Albus said from the door way.

Harry looked up at the door and saw his father standing there looking every bit as insane as usual. Harry didn't pay any mind to the bright colors or the outrages hair. His dad was here and he wouldn't let his mother kill him. Not caring if he looked like a coward he quickly slide against the wall until he was safely behind his father and out of reach from his mother.

Minerva straightened her back and glared at her husband. "Fine, but don't come crawling to me when Poppy finds you." she said briskly.

Albus made a face but moved on knowing there was nothing else he could do. "Lets take this to my office, it has stronger silencing charms." he suggested.

Harry groaned out loud at the implication, knowing his father wasn't joking.

The trio made their way into a office in the back of the classroom which was where Minerva's office was. They passed through the obsessively organized office quickly and soon they were in the living room of their quarters.

With in another two minutes they were all sitting down in the living room and they had both taken off the disguises. Minerva and Albus very comfortably and while Harry was sitting in his favorite chair it felt some what different than the other times he sat there. Now it felt more a chair used for interrogation than relaxation.

"Harry" Albus began with a soft voice. "What you did today was wrong but not entirely unexpected." Harry's head shot up from where he had been examining the carpet and looked at his father searchingly.

"I believe your escaping of the hospital can be blamed on bad geans. There has yet to be a time when your mother or I have spent the prescribed amount of time in Madame Ponfrey's, delicate care." He said with a twinkle in his eye. Harry grinned. "But your still going to be punished, so, I believe that a detention with Hagrid will do the trick." Albus finished in an overly cheerful voice.

Harry made a face but knew he had gotten off rather easily. His mother apparently thought the same because she glared at his father with the full power of her gaze.

"Next subject." Albus said with a clap of his hands unfazed by his mothers glare that was known to make grown men quake in there boots. "Your little adventure on Halloween needs to be discusses." Even though he said it cheerfully enough Harry could see a dark shadow in his fathers eye. "Could you please tell us what happened?"

"Well I didn't want to go to the feast..." Harry started as he began to tell his parents about his disastrous rescue attempt.

There was silence as he finished his story. Albus was looking at his son as if he'd never seen him before and Minerva was actually repressing laughter.

"Sweet Merlin Albus did you have to give our son all of your bad traits?" She asked with a slight chuckle.

Harry crossed his arms and pouted. They were making fun of him.

Albus glared half heartedly at his wife. She knew he didn't like it when she brought that and another few dozen other incidents up. All of them almost life threatening because of his absent minded stupidity.

Minerva saw her sons pout and could read his reasoning through his facial expression. "Harry, I'm not laughing at you. I'm laughing at the similarity's between you and your father." she said with a fond smile.

"How so?" Harry asked curiously. Any story that made his father glare like that had to be a good one.

"Well there was a time when your father wasn't as cautious as he is now. I was pregnant with Nathan at the time and as I've told you before he gave me the strangest cravings." Harry made a face. In their house the things his mother ate while pregnant were legendary. It was some of the most disgusting combinations of food Harry had even heard of. "I was being rather persistent-"

Albus cut her off. "Persistent!" he said incredulously. "You threatened to castrate me!" Minerva blushed slightly but Harry was confused. That was one word he'd never heard.

"Castrate?" he said.

"Cut your bits off." Albus said very seriously.

Harry's eyes went wide and he crossed his legs. "There's a spell for that?" he said in a high pitched voice. Oh the horror.

Albus nodded gravely completely understanding his sons plight. When he'd first found out he'd been obsessed with finding or creating a shield. He'd done it of course, but it had taken three weekends worth of work. Time in his opinion well spent.

"Any way back to the story." Minerva interrupted the boys side conversation. "The point is I got your father so anxious to get me my request that he summoned it while we were in Hogwarts. All of the honey, pickled eggs, and chocolate syrup in the castle came flying at him. Then hit him just as he was going down the stairs from his office. He fell down them all, broke his arm, got a concussion, and smelt horrible for at least a week."

Harry burst out laughing and seeing the similarities wasn't so mad at his mum for laughing at him. Though his dad didn't seem to share his feelings on the subject.

"I thought we agreed not to tell the children certain things." he said slightly outraged.

"Oh Albus, lighten up." Minerva said light taking a sip of newly conjured tea. "It's not the end of the world. Besides the children should know that your not infallible."

Harry tuned out the conversation. He didn't feel like listening to his parents banter back and forth with each other. His chair was extremely comfortable and the fire was burning warmly even though he didn't remember it being lit. The smell of the room was comforting and familiar. Before he'd even realized it he was falling asleep in his favorite chair by the fire.

"He's asleep." Albus stated a few minutes later after Harry didn't answer a question asked by Minerva.

"He did look tired." She said absently as she stood up and stretched. "You should put him in his room and let him sleep here tonight. We can tell the school that he was sent back to the hospital wing."

"My thoughts exactly." Albus said as he stood up. Without any difficultly he picked his youngest son up and carried him to his room. The room looked cleanly kept but it was lacking the familiar glow that accompanied when it had been inhabited daily. But all the childrens rooms were like that now. Not one of his children lived at home full time.

He tucked Harry in under the green, blue, and gold bedspread and left the room, but not before turning back and giving his son a kiss on the forehead.

When he entered the living room again he was met with a rare sight. Minerva had taken off her outer teaching robe and was only wearing a light under robe that really left nothing to the imagination. He could see every curve of her body and sight of her made his heart skip a beat.

She was standing in front of one of the great windows in the room, with a glass of scotch in her hand, looking at the landscape.

He walked up behind her and slid his hands around her lithe waist. She didn't even flinch, she had felt him coming as was great full for any comfort he could offer.

"This weeks been tough." she said her voice horse with emotion. Albus nodded and buried his head into her neck, taking comfort from her smell.

"More like an emotional roller coaster." he said with a muffled voice. Minerva snorted and drained the rest of her glass. It had been a really bad week.

Albus took the glass gently from her fingers and banished it back to the liquor cabinet on the other side of the room. With strong arms he turned his wife's body around and pulled her into a comforting embracing. She buried her head into his chest and let out a shaky breath.

He could smell the alcohol on her breath but he knew she was far from drunk. Drinking was in her blood and it would take more than one drink to affect her, unlike he, who was the lightest lightweight any one would ever meet.

They stood in each others arms for a few more minutes relishing the closeness that they were denied so often.

"We almost lost him Albus." Minerva said a bit tearfully.

"I know, but we'll keep him safe from now on. Nothing will happen to any one of my children while I still have breath in my body. You know that." Albus said trying to reassure himself as much as his wife. Harry's accident, as he was calling it in his mind, had been a shock to both he and Minerva. They had thought that Harry would be safe in Hogwarts, only for him to be seriously hurt within his first two months of schooling.

"I know you'd never let anything happen" Minerva said pulling back from his chest but staying in his arms. "But you can't be every where at once. And now with the twins and Nathan not living at home, there's only so much you can do. And Nathan's not even speaking with us. How will you know if he needs help?" she asked tears in her eyes. The subject of her middle child had brought her to tears more often than not. He wasn't talking to them and there was no way for the to get in contact until Christmas.

"I'll know and I'll protect them." he said firmly hoping to alleviate his wife's fears.

"You say that, but will your precautions work." she said more to herself than to Albus.

"Have I ever failed you before?" Albus asked looking straight into his wife's eyes hiding nothing.

"No." she answered quietly not breaking the connection they shared at that moment.

"And I never will." Albus answered so surely that Minerva believed him.

Minerva smiled slightly at the warm feeling her husband never failed to ignite inside of her. It was but and ember now but soon she knew it would be a raging inferno.

With nothing else to say Minerva took her husbands face in her hands and ran her fingers over his cheeks. His looks had changed, but not diminished from when she had first met him. He looked older and his face felt rougher form the trials the world had laid upon his shoulders. There were more lines on his face than ever before. A bunch by his eyes from his ever present smile. More than one on his brow being proof of his stress full days during the war and away from home at the ministry. There was also a thin scar, almost invisible, that ran from his above his left ear into his scalp. She remembered the night he got it years and years ago. But even with all of these attributes she still saw him as the young seemingly naive teacher she had fallen in love with over fifty years ago.

"I love you Albus." she whispered her eyes speaking more than her lips.

"And I you Mina." Albus practically whispered. She could feel his breath on her lips. She didn't even bother correcting him on the use of her most hated nick name, instead she moved her lips those last two inches from her husbands and gave him a slow sensual kiss. One that spoke of years of love and devotion that only grew by each passing day.

Albus responded in turn and pulled his wife's body flush up against his. The kiss lasted until they pair broke off for need of oxygen.

"Lets go to bed." Minerva suggested with a lustful look at Albus.

"Lets." Albus agreed without any hesitation.

A/N

Wow so sorry for the long wait on the update but things have been hectic around my part of the world. You wouldn't believe some of the things I've done lately. About the story I seriously doubt I'll be able to post a new chapter every week but I'm aiming for every other week. I shouldn't have even tried to do that in the first place. Sorry but it can't be done, I have a life outside of fanfiction. One thats becoming increasingly busy lately.

On a side note I might be going on a tour of eastern Europe for twenty days over the summer. Just something cool I thought I'd share, it seemd like a lot of fun and I'm supper excited to visit Amsterdam.

As a;ways review please. Tell me if I suck, or if you like it. Either way it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. lol peace, Alisha


	12. Chapter 11

disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Harry spent the next day confined to the family quarters. His parents had told the school some story about how his release was too early and he needed his rest. He spent most of the morning laying in bed or listening to some music.

If there was one thing he truly dislike about Hogwarts it was the lack of good music. He and Nate had fallen in love with music when they discovered a muggle music store right next to the sports complex that Harry played football at. They'd convinced their dad that it was vital for the survival of the wizarding world for them to have access to muggle music.

Albus hadn't been convinced but he had made each of the boys a stereo that would run off magic instead of electricity. Once that has been done he had been forced to give them advances on their allowance so that they could buy all the c.d.'s they wanted.

The boy's had a fairly large collection and as the listened mostly the same music they shared all of the c.d.'s.

The thing about it was that technically when their father had enchanted the stereo system he'd done it illegally, so they couldn't let anyone outside of the family see it. Which Harry thought was really unfair. It wasn't like they had hurt anyone or even like they were going to show muggles. Harry had felt incomplete without his library of music to relax him after a long day of play.

It was ten o' clock before he pulled himself from his warm fluffy blankets and went to take a shower.

When he finally went looking for someone else in the quarters it was nearly eleven. He knew his mum was teaching and that she would be back for lunch and then she would spend a free period with him, but he knew his dad was around here somewhere.

He walked into the drawing room after looking in his parents' bedroom and finding it empty. Sure enough laying on the floor with his feet on the couch was his father. He was engrossed in a book and Harry knew better to interrupt him. The fact that his dad was lying on the floor didn't even faze him. His dad always found the oddest positions to read in. One of his favorite positions was to float around near the ceiling.

He didn't understand it, but there were a lot of weird things about his dad he didn't understand. Like how he ate so much sugar and didn't get sick.

Seeing nothing else to do Harry pulled a muggle comic book off the book shelf and tried to imitate his father's position. It took some flexibility but he finally got it. He started to read and was completely obvious to the small smile that found its way to his father's face.

That was how Minerva found them nearly an hour later. She walked into the room and before the door was even closed she was taking down her hair from its uncomfortably tight bun.

"Good afternoon boys" she said amiably smiling at her boys.

Albus closed his book and smiled at her. It was a smile that reminded her of why she married him. As old as he was and as much as he's seen he still had that boyish innocence and amazement about him. His smiles always filled her with comfort because with that simple gesture and a look in his eyes she could almost feel his love for her. It was enough to make her weak in the knees.

"Hi mum." Harry said unconsciously snapping his parents out of their locked gazes.

Albus, using some flexibility and years of practice, twisted and jumped so that he landed on his feet his book in hand. He looked at his son and raised a challenging eyebrow. "Need help?" he asked with a grin.

"If you can do it, I can." Harry said with false bravado. Harry tried to imitate his father and for a moment he nearly hand it but he didn't turn his body enough and wound up falling flat on his face. His comic book crumpling beneath him.

Albus helped his son up and did a quick charm to restore the comic to mint condition. "It was a good attempt." He consoled his youngest.

Harry scowled and screwed up his face in concentration. "How did you do that?" he asked.

"Many, many years of practice." Albus said with a shrug.

"Your father's always been good at getting into tight places." Minerva said with a lecherous look towards her husband.

Albus blushed slightly at his wives insinuative tone. "Let's, err, go to lunch the house elves should have it prepared by now." He said.

"Thank Merlin, I could eat a hippogriff." Harry said as he walked over to put his comic back on the shelf.

"I could think of at least a dozen other positions I'd rather be in?" Minerva said with a significant look towards her husband.

Albus shifted uncomfortably. He could only remember a few times when Minerva was this forward. During both of her pregnancy's they had gone at each other horny teenagers, but that wasn't possible, not after the disaster that they called Nathan's birth. Both Poppy and the muggle doctor they had consulted had told them they'd never have the slightest chance at having another child. And to do so would only be at a serious risk to Minerva's health.

But what could be the cause of the sudden change. They'd always had a healthy sex life, they were in their prime, and before now he had thought that they had had a lot of sex. Only for the past two months or so be proven wrong. At every possible spare minute they were on each other. In the staff room, their respected offices, broom closet's, the Great Hall, the Astronomy tower, Hell they'd even done it in the quiditch pitch during the middle of the night. Truthfully he as enjoying himself with their daily and daring trysts but he was also beginning to wonder what was going on. He knew that sooner or later his curiosity would win and he would have to ask. He just didn't want the fun to stop.

"Are you coming, Albus?"

Albus looked up and smiled at his wife as she broke him out of his thoughts. "Of course." He answered as he walked up to her and took her hand so that he could hold it.

The trio was halfway through a lunch of soup and sandwiches when they heard the floo open from the drawing room.

"We weren't expecting anyone." Minerva stated looking at Albus a hint of questioning in her gaze.

"No, we weren't" he answered. "Stay here I'll go see who it is." Albus said as he pushed his seat back and stood up.

Harry looked curiously from one parent to the next. They seemed nervous but he couldn't understand why. His father had told him himself that the only people who could use the floo in their quarters were of Dumbledore blood and in addition to that they had to know the floo address and the verbal password.

Albus was halfway across the room when the door opened and someone walked in. Even Harry who had been half expecting half hoping that he would show up was surprised when it was Nathan who walked through the door. Harry like every other eleven year old boy was normally clueless when it came to details but even he could see that this wasn't the same Nathan that had left home at the end of the summer.

The most obvious thing was his clothes. Nathan used to always wear something with color and a lot of beiges, tans, and light browns. Now everything he wore was black and of poorer quality than Harry had ever seen any of his family wear. The clothing didn't even have the family crest sewn in on it. He was wearing pain black jeans, some cheap black sneakers and a plain black zip up jacket.

His body looked worn and tired. For being only fourteen years old he looked like he was thirty. There were stress lines on his face and dark shadows under his eyes. His face looked angry. His normally smiling face looked like he hadn't smiled since he left. He was also taller; he had to have grown at least two inches since summer. His hair which he used to pride on being neat was currently a chaotic mess, like he had run his hand through it numerous times.

Nathan stopped when he saw Harry. Green eyes met bloodshot blue and Harry could tell that he was apologizing in advance for what he was about to do and for not coming sooner. Harry tried to show him that he was forgiven but he wasn't sure Nate got the message.

"Nathan, are you alright dear?" Minerva asked watching her son that she hadn't really seen in two months worriedly. She'd never seen that looked on Nathans face only her husband's and it never turned out well when he had that much restrained fury. The last time she had seen that look was when death eaters had been pardoned for giving campaign donations to the Minister Fudge.

Nathan ignored her and instead choose to stare at his father almost hatefully. Harry was shocked; he could literally feel the anger flowing off of Nathan. Harry had never seen Nathan this angry and especially not at their father. Albus had been Nathans idol for as long as Harry could remember. They'd had quite a few conversations about how when Nathan grew up he wanted to be exactly like his father. Harry admired his father but he didn't want to be famous, he wanted a more secluded life.

"Were you not going to tell me?" Nathan asked rage cracking his forced calm voice. Harry stared at Nathan trying to figure out what in the world had happened to his brother. This wasn't the Nathan he knew.

Albus and Minerva exchanged confused glances. Neither of them knew what Nathan was talking about. "Nathan, I don't know what you're talking about. Why don't we go sit down somewhere and talk about this." Albus suggested in a calming voice he had often used on his children when they were younger.

"Don't fuck with me. I doubt even you could forget this." Nathan said coldly. Albus blinked in surprise at the tone of his sons' voice. He opened his mouth to reprimand him but Nathan beat him to it. "But if you do need help remembering I brought something of yours." Nathan added as he took an old leather bound journal, one Harry notice that was very similar to his, and chucked it at Albus.

With quicker reflexes than Harry had ever seen from his father, Albus snatched the book out of the air. Albus knew what it was the moment he saw it come from his sons' pocket.

"Where did you get this?" Albus asked in an empty voice. Not taking his eyes away from the book in his hands.

"A muggle pawn broker in Italy." Nathan answered. "It was a very interesting read." He practically spat out.

At the last sentence Albus eyes snapped up to his sons' and his tan skin paled a shade or three. "Then you realize that a lot has changed since then." Albus said in a strong voice.

"It made me realize a lot of things. None of them pleasant" Nathan said in a hard voice. "It made me realize that you're not the man everyone thinks you are. You're not some great hero; you created the monster in the first place. It made me realize that everything I knew was a lie. I mean if I can't trust the one person whom I aspired to be, who or what could I trust? It made me realize that I don't want to be a part of a world where people like you walk free." Nathan said with a steadily raising voice.

Minerva stepped forward and opened her mouth to say something but Albus beat her to the punch. "There are a lot of things you don't understand, Nathan, a lot of things that weren't written in that book. Let me explain it to you." Albus said in a voice of forced calm.

"Why should I let you lie to me even more?" Nathan asked spitefully, but Harry could tell by the pitch of his voice that he was really upset.

"Because I wouldn't lie to you I never have. And because I think I deserve a chance to explain myself." Albus said in an athorative voice.

"Why? Why should I give you a chance?" Nathan asked heatedly.

Harry just watched in shock at the way the conversation was turning out. Apparently his father had done something horrible in his past and Nathan had somehow found out. That wasn't the

only surprising thing. The way Nathan was talking to their father left Harry shell shocked. Nathan barely swore when they were alone, and in the past five minutes Harry had heard him swear more than he usually did in a year.

"Because I'm your father, and I love you." Albus answered simply.

That was apparently the wrong thing to say. Nathans anger seemed to multiply and if Harry thought he was angry earlier than he was furious now.

"IF YOU LOVED ME YOU WOULDN'T HAVE LIED TO ME." Nathan screamed. "I HATE YOU. I WISH YOU WEREN'T MY FATHER. I WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER OFF WITH ANYONE OTHER THAN YOU. I HATE YOU. I-"He would have said more but Minerva's open hand connected with his cheek.

The room was eerily still for a moment with Nathan looking at Albus while holding his cheek. His face was no longer contorted in anger but now he looked ashamed and sorry of his outburst. Albus looked nothing like the happy confident man he normally was. His blue eyes were unseeing and clouded with what Harry thought were tears and his face looked lost. Minerva looked furious; her anger from the other day seemed tame compared to this. And Harry just stood there looking confused.

Abruptly before anyone could speak a word Fawkes appeared with a burst of flames and disappeared the same way a second later with Albus in tow. Harry, who had been watching his father's face, didn't think the man noticed.

"I…I didn't" Nathan stuttered looking less and less sure of himself with each passing second.

"Nathan." His mother said her voice cracking like a whip. "Go to your room, now. I don't want to hear a peep from you until you seriously think of what you've learned and what you've just done." She said severely.

"I.." he started before he clamped his mouth shut. There was nothing he could say. Without another word he turned on the heal of his worn sneakers and walked away.

"And Nathan." Minerva said just as he reached the door. Nathan stopped but didn't turn around. "Change your clothes. Your father and I have bought you plenty, there's no reason to look like a beggar." If it was possible Nathan's shoulders dropped even lower. He nodded slightly before hurrying out of the room.

Harry and Minerva stood in silence for a moment. "Mum," Harry said staring at his mother who looked like she would break down crying at any moment, a far cry from her earlier anger. "I don't understand."

Minerva swallowed and turned to her son. "I promise someone will explain everything to you later, but right now could you please go keep yourself busy without getting into trouble. I need to take care of a few things." She said. Harry didn't even think about not doing exactly what she asked. At that moment he would have done anything for his mother if he thought it would have made her feel better.

"Of course, I'll go work on my piano lessons." He said in a vain hope to make her happy. She knew how much he hated the piano. Like he thought it didn't work. She gave a small forced smile but even they both could tell it was false and Harry knew that she would probably break down crying as soon as he left.

Before he left he turned to his mother and gave her his own version of her bone crushing hug. He felt her body shudder with emotion and felt two fat tears drop on the top of his head.

The hug broke and Minerva put her hand on her sons' cheek. "You're a good boy Harry." She said before giving him a kiss on his forehead.

Harry left the room silently and for the first time in his life felt a burning rage towards his brother. In ten minutes Nathan had done more emotional damage to their mother than anyone had probably done in years. If he was bigger and stronger he would have punched him. Right now though he would settle for using him as his karate dummy, at least then he might be able to hurt him.

It was late that night and Minerva was sitting up as still as a statue waiting for her husband to come back. She knew or at least hoped he would be back tonight, he knew how she hated to sleep alone. The thought of the cold sheets without him there to warm her made her shiver.

Harry was sleeping soundly and had been for an hour or so, and she supposed Nathan was too. She hadn't been able go in his room to check on him. She had of course sent a house elf with food at every meal and even some of his favorite snacks but she hadn't been able to see him personally. She was still too angry with him and she didn't want to say something she would later regret. She loved her son dearly but when she had seen and felt what he'd done to her soul mate slapping him was only the beginning of what she would have done if he wasn't her son.

The door to the master bedroom slowly opened and she watched as Albus quietly made his way into their bedroom. He looked tired and dirty, were the two things she noticed first. The second thing was that his blue eyes looked slightly haunted.

Without a word she quietly walked towards him and gently grabbed his hand and led him to their bathroom. He followed never once protesting, he didn't even look up.

She entered the bathroom and with a small flick of her wrist stated a steaming hot shower. Albus looked up slightly startled at the sound. "Miner-"he started to protest in a gruff voice but she shushed him with a gentle finger across his lips.

"Let me." She said lovingly then she gave him a soft kiss on the corner of his mouth. He didn't do another thing while he watched her undress in front of him.

Minerva moved toward her husband completely nude and started to unbutton the front of his robes and then helped him peel out of his sweaty clothes. He had a habit of dueling until he was either physically or magically exhausted when he was going through emotional problems.

Minerva locked gazes with her husband as she led him into the shower. The warm water felt heavenly on her sore muscle so she knew Albus must have been feeling something close to bliss. As the warm water woke him from his earlier despair for the first time since he came back she was sure he knew exactly where he was.

He didn't say a word but the way he looked into her eyes she knew she was helping.

As gently and as lovingly as she could she started to wash him, her eyes almost never leaving his. She paid special attention to places she knew were bound to be sore and tried to massage the knots out of his shoulders and neck. She took her time and didn't rush; so that she was done they had already been in the shower for almost forty minutes.

When she was done with him, without a word he took the sponge and carefully almost meticulously started to wash her. He was washing her shoulder blades when he finally spoke.

"What did I wrong?" he asked softly stopping the gentle stroking with the sponge. "I tried everything to be a good father." He said the last part in such a lost voice that Minerva's eyes watered for him.

She turned towards him and wrapped her arms around his trim waist. He was taller than her so she rested he head against his firm shoulder. He returned the gesture automatically and looped his arms around her thin shoulders. Seeking the comfort that only they knew how to give one another.

"You are a great father Albus, never doubt that." She said and gave him a kiss on his shoulder blade to try and prove her point.

Albus was quiet for a moment and stood unmoving. "He said he hated me. That hurt me more than anything. It still hurts, it won't go away."

Minerva was silent as she struggled to find the right words. "All of your children love, Nathan especially. I think he was just so hurt to find out that you are only human and that you can make mistakes."

"I need to talk with him." Albus stated a few minutes later. "I want him to understand why I did the things that I did. He deserves the truth."

"I think he's sleeping, love, why don't you wait till morning." Minerva said tilting her head so that she could look into her husband's eyes.

"He is, sleeping, I mean. I looked in on him before I came to you." His eyes flashed angrily for a split second and a frown appeared on his face. "His cheek is bruised."

Minerva closed her eyes and swallowed her sorrow. "I made a mistake. I let my anger get the best of me." She said and she let a few tears fall in the running water. Albus tightened his hold on her shoulders. "That's the first time I ever hit one of my children." She said in a whispered voice.

Albus hugged her tightly as she sobbed into his chest, now regretting ever bringing the topic up.

"Albus" Minerva said in a choked voice. "I have to tell you something." Albus looked down into her eyes and nodded for her to continue. "I'm pregnant." She said in a voice so soft he thought he misunderstood her.

Albus swallowed his initial out bust of refusal to believe her admission and buried his head in her hair. "Minerva that's not supposed to be possible." He said as calmly as he could when all he wanted to do was scream and rage about how it wasn't fair.

"When have the rules ever applied to us." Was her answer.

Hesitantly he started to speak. "You know there are ways of termin-"

"If you finish that sentence Albus I will leave." Minerva said truly angry.

Albus shut up knowing she didn't just mean leave the room. If there was one thing closer to Minerva's heart than him it was her children. The idea to her of giving up one of them was as about the same as putting a blade through her heart and twisting it round and round.

"I just don't want to lose you. You're my heart and soul walking around outside my body. You're my everything. And I almost lost you once when Nathan was born. I don't ever want to take that chance. I refuse to live without you." He said passionately his eyes never leaving her own.

"It's a risk we'll have to take." Minerva said putting a hand on his cheek to comfort him.

Albus's face twisted. "I can't risk you, Minerva, you know I can't." he said with repressed emotion lacing his voice.

There was no answer that she could give that would be both truthful and what he wanted to hear, they both knew it. So instead of trying to make him agree with her on something she knew he would never agree on, she kissed him. It was a slow and sensual kiss, one that spoke volumes of their feelings for each other. To Albus it felt like a kiss good bye. As soon as he thought that a tear fell down his cheek because he knew there was a good chance that it very well was.

The last time Minerva had given birth there had been severe complications added to the fact that she was allergic to the key ingredient to all blood replenishing potions. Whenever Albus thought of Nathans birth the first thing that came to his mind was the massive amounts of blood that he'd seen pouring from his wife. Then came the feelings of helplessness and sorrow so strong he could drown in them.

When they'd been told there wasn't a remote chance of them conceiving again Albus had been somewhat relieved. He'd give anything to never have to see his Minerva lying so pale and broken on that hospital bed.

He was broken out of his ravine when Minerva ended the kiss. He opened his eyes slowly and stared at her trying to convince himself that she would always be there with him, that there was no possible thing on this earth that could take her from him. It didn't work. Instead it only made his eyes water again.

Minerva saw the conflict in his eyes and she honestly didn't know how to help him. Her mind was set. She waved her hand and the shower turned off. With care that rivaled their earlier washing they dried each other. Never saying a word.

Albus raised his hand to summon so pajamas for them but Minerva stopped him by grabbing his hand and gently guiding him to the bed they had shared for over fifty years.

"I want to spend tonight with my husband." She said as she lay back on top of the comforter. Albus hesitated for a second before leaning forward and placing a kiss on her forehead, then another on each of her eyes, her lips, and a trail down the left side of her neck. Stopping to suckle the spot on her collar bone he knew drove her crazy.

Her hands which had been snaking there way around his back clenched and her nails scrapped against his skin. Minerva moaned lightly at the feeling only to stop short when his mouth stopped its wonderful assault and went back to placing a light trail of butterfly kisses around her neck.

Without warning his lips found her already hard nipple. He teased it with a few soft bites before suckling like he had her collar bone. Minerva moaned fully this time and she arched her back in pleasure and her hand grabbed a fistful of her husband's hair.

As Albus's mouth continued to suckle and nibble on his wife's assets his right hand started to float on her navel. Tracing and intricate design that would dip lower and lower with each revolution. Minerva started to squirm beneath him and he could hear her heavy breathing.

Knowing what she wanted, he lightly grazed his finger over her wet folds. The sound of her whimper made him want to stop his seduction of her and pound into her right then, but he held his resolve and switched his mouth to her other neglected breast.

With his fingers he slowly traced up and down on the insides of her thighs. He could feel the grip in his hair tighten as his wife rolled her hips searching for the attention that she so longed for.

"Please Albus." Minerva whispered wantonly. "I need you"

Albus had planned on dragging out his seduction of her for quite a while but just hearing her sounding so needing almost made him come right there.

He stopped his assault on her breasts and positioned himself right at her center. They lock gazes and Albus entered her slick inch by slick inch deliberately taking his time. Albus took pride in knowing that only he had every made his wife feel the way she did now. That he was the only one to have ever seen her eyes clouded with pure pleasure or that he was the only one who had ever heard her scream his name.

He stopped when he was full sheathed and leaned down to kiss his wife gently on the lips. "I love you Minerva." He whispered in her ear as he started to move out of her just as slowly as he had entered.

"MMM I love you… too" Minerva said breathily.

Albus tried not to focus on how badly he just wanted to fuck his wife senseless; instead he focused on showing her how much he cared without words.

He set a deliciously slow rhythm. Fast enough to keep Minerva in a state of pure satisfaction but slow enough to prologue climax for a time. He worked like a machine that never tired. Slide in, slide out, slide in, and slide out.

He enjoyed watching the look of ecstasy every time he would enter her at the right angle and hit her spot. Every time he would she would scream out his name and scrape her nails along his back.

Finally after what seemed like an eternity Albus could no longer hold back on his primal desires. He pulled out quickly and slammed back into his wife's hot entrance. She screamed out again and tightened her legs around his back. He pulled out again only to pound back into her.

They worked out a fast rhythm that quickly had both of them climaxing with one another's names on their lips. Albus pulled out of Minerva and collapsed next to her covered in sweat and bodily fluids. There were no signs that they had taken showers earlier.

"I love you." he said his breathing still heavy as he snuggled up next to her completely spent.

Minerva curled up next to him and laid her head on his damp shoulder. "I love you to." She whispered.

Albus was just about to fall into a welcome darkness when Minerva spoke again. "Thank you for the best sex I've had all year."

Albus chuckled lightly. "If that's the case I've been slacking off. I'll have to make it up to you."

"I look forward to it." Minerva said through a yawn.

A/N

Hello. Sorry for the long wait my labtop broke and I just got a new one for Christmas. Windows Vista is amazing if anyones was wondering, completely worth it.

About Nathan a lot will be explained next chapter, it will go more indepth than this one did. You'll get explainations of a lot of things.

And finally, I wanted to add more AD/MM but I'm not sure how I did on the sex scene, but theirs a plus side to this if you review, thats right review me, you could tell me how I did. lol. Anyway please tell me if I royally fucked it up or if I'm in the clear, this was my first so as always I'd appreciate tips or advice on anything I'm not doing correctly.

Peace and Happy Holidays, Alisha.


	13. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: J.K. wouldn't give it to me believe me I tried but she's a stubborn one.

It was late and Harry knew he should be sleeping but he couldn't clear his mind long enough to fall asleep. He kept thinking back on the past day, which had started out great but ended so sorrowfully. Every time he closed his eyes his mind brought him back to Nathan screaming at their father and their father leaving.

His fists curled in anger as he thought of his mother. He knew she had probably cried until ten minutes before her classes started again. He wanted nothing more than to go shake the answers out of Nathan. The only thing stopping him from doing it was the fact that Nathan weighed about two stones more than he did.

He gave up trying to sleep and sat up in bed. Hoping that he could find peace after he expressed himself somehow he walked over to his desk and opened the top left draw. Inside it was a finely crafted leather bound journal with the date from his last birthday written in gold script. It was a tradition his mother had started. Every year since they had been able to write they had received journals on their birthdays. His mother had told them it was something that had been done in her family for more than a thousand years and that we were keeping family traditions alive.

He took the book and laid it down on the table. The draw was connected with a charm to his trunk so that whichever room he was in he could write about his day. He grabbed a quill from his ink well and started to write.

He'd been writing for about fifteen minutes when he heard a door open behind him. He stopped writing but didn't turn around. Both of his parents had already checked on him and there was only one other person in their quarters. Plus the door that was opened wasn't the regular door. It was the door that connected his room to Nathans.

With the way they had grown up it was easier for them to just connect their rooms. The twin's rooms were the same way.

The door closed and he put his quill down. "You're supposed to be thinking about what you've done." Harry said with gritted teeth.

"I wanted to explain some things to you," Nathan said quietly. "About why I've been such a shitty brother to you lately."

Harry turned in his chair and looked at Nate. He was dressed in a pair of flannel pajama pants with a matching shirt, he was clean, and his eyes were red. What was most noticeable was the large bruise on his cheek from where his mother had struck him. Besides looking sleep deprived Harry thought it looked like he'd been crying.

"And, why have you been such a jerk lately?" Harry asked slightly angrily but more curiously. He was kind of hoping that everyone could just put this whole ordeal behind them and then get back to their lives pretending like the last two months hadn't happened.

Nathan looked around for a second before sitting down on Harry's bed. "Come sit over here it's a long story." He said while getting comfortable.

Harry stood up and climbed into his bed making sure to cover his feet and throw Nate a pillow.

"Thanks." Nate said as he lay down on the fluffy pillow. "I guess the best place to start is the beginning. I had been in Italy visiting with Leone a charms master who could do the most amazing things with shield charms. I have to show you some of the things he showed me by the way." He added detouring from his story. Harry smiled and was glad to be seeing the Nathan he knew again. He had missed him.

"Anyway, I finished with the lesson early," Harry rolled his eyes. Nathan was always done everything before everyone else. "And I didn't want to go back to the house with Leone so I decided to explore the nearby village. It was almost completely muggle; I think there was a young magical couple who lived on the out skirts of the village. Any way I was doing some sightseeing, I learned the history of the town, had breakfast at a local pub. You know the usual stuff.

"Then by chance I walk into this pawn shop. I figured I'd see if they had anything interesting. I thought that maybe I could find something to bring home and show to everybody. I found this journal and I thought it was weird because it looked just like the ones we've always used." Nathan stopped talking and lay down completely on the bed so that he was lying parallel to Harry.

"I bought it on a whim and brought it back to the house I was staying at with Leone. I forgot about for a while, then one day I was cleaning my room and I noticed it sitting in the bottom of my desk. I was bored and it was something unexplored.

"To my complete and utter surprise I found out the book was magical and that it was locked closed. I didn't know who it belonged to at the time so I tried everything to open it. No unlocking spells would work and I didn't know what else to do so I tried to open I like mine. I just reached out with my magic and it...fell open.

"I was kind of surprised because that's not supposed to happen. People have very unique magical signatures. But I figured I had to be someone from our family because families are known for having similar signatures." Nathan explained and Harry nodded soaking in all of the information.

"I uh, read the journal and I learned so many things most I wished I didn't. It was our dads from when he was a teenager. I learned that he really wasn't that nice of a person. He was arrogant and he thought he deserved more than everyone else because he was smarter or more powerful." Harry blinked at the description. If anyone else had told him that about his father he would have called them crazy. But Harry knew that Nathan would never lie to him.

"I was kind of shocked. I had always thought that dad had always been the way he was now. But reading some of the things he wrote, it was like seeing clearly for the first time. Or at least that's what I thought at the time.

"Then the summer after his sixth year he met the eight teen year old Gellert. He was young, handsome, smart, but more importantly he was powerful. Dad worshiped this guy. He would write page after page about the conversations they had had. Dad had even written some of their plans down."

"What were their plans?" Harry asked completely absorbed in the story of his father's misguided youth.

Nate gave a short laugh. Not a happy laugh like Harry was used to seeing him but more of a dark chuckle. "You don't see it yet, do you?" he asked then before Harry could answer he started talking again. "Their plan was for the perfect world, a utopia, if you will. A perfect world that had no room for squibs or muggles. Gellert was Grindlewald Harry, our dad helped plan the genocide of millions of people."

Harry's brain stopped working at that moment. He knew his father wasn't perfect and he had known from earlier today that he had some dark secrets in his past. But this was the one thing he would have never expected. He had read about how Grindlewald had been the acting force behind World War II. Harry knew that Grindlewald had supplied the muggles with poisons, weapons, and camps so that they could kill one another in record numbers. He knew that Grindlewald had planned to let the muggles kill themselves then he would walk in and take over and he would have if it hadn't been for the one wizard who stood up for the muggles when the rest of the wizarding world was content to sit back and following Grindlewald's footsteps, Albus Dumbledore, their father.

"You know the concentration camps and the gas chambers from the muggle side of the war?" Nathan asked. Harry nodded with a forbidding feeling building in his gut. "They were created after some of dad's original ideas for large scale, painless killings."

"Shut up." Harry said. He didn't want to hear any more about it. He wished he had never listened in the first place. He didn't want to know these things. Nathan opened his mouth to protest but Harry spoke first. "Just give me a minute to process things, ok?"

Nathan nodded and Harry buried is head under his pillow. It was always easier for him to think if he was alone and he didn't want to kick Nathan out just yet. After a good ten minutes of with his head under the pillow he came up for air and to tell Nathan what he thought.

"Nate listen to me and don't interrupt me, ok." Harry said completely seriously. Nathan nodded with a raised eyebrow at how Harry was taking charge of the situation. "I've heard all I want to about dads past and I can understand why you were upset. But you still had no right to do what you did. First off you don't talk to us for two months, and then you storm in here without notice and scream that you hate our father. I'm your brother and your best friend and for the first time since I started martial arts I wanted to hurt someone. I wanted to throw all that self discipline crap out the window and I wanted to hurt you."

Nathan looked genuinely hurt at Harry's admission. "How can you not be angry at dad? He helped a mass murderer kill millions of people."

"No he didn't. He dreamed up some messed up plans with his friend when he was a teenager. I doubt he ever really thought about using them seriously."

"But he did think of using them Harry. He went so far as to describe what type of poison he would use."

"Nathan, you're missing the point and you said you wouldn't interrupt. Ok, so our dad was a mean kid and he had some messed up friends. But he didn't do anything wrong. Grindlewald did, it was Grindlewald who took those plans and made them into realities, not dad. Dad says it's our choices and actions that make us who we are. Not our heritage or our thoughts I would imagine." Harry said hoping that Nathan would get the point.

"How do you know he didn't help?" Nathan asked quietly.

Harry stilled his body, he didn't even breath. He couldn't believe that Nate had just asked that. "I know he didn't help because I trust and love him enough to give him the benefit of the doubt." Harry said slowly making sure to enunciate every syllable of every word.

Nathan turned his head into the pillow to hide his face from his brother. "I want to believe that he didn't do any of the horrible things I keep thinking of but I can't. I don't know what's wrong with me. Aren't I supposed to give him the benefit of the doubt like you?" Nathan said in a pained voice.

Nathan stopped talking and Harry knew he was silently shedding tears. He now knew why Nate hadn't come see them for two months. His brother's voice had sounded so lost. Harry figured that Nate had been guided astray and all he needed was to be shown the light.

"Do you think dad would have passed so many laws for nonmagical peoples rights if he did want to kill off all the muggles in the world? If he was like you fear do you think he would have fought so much with Voldemort? And what about Fawkes, Nathan, do you think the epitome of all things light would be dads bonded if he really was a former or current Dark Lord?"

Nathan closed his eyes and fought back the tears that were threatening to fall. He was supposed to be the intelligent one in the family, but he had been blinded by something he knew deep down wasn't true. Since he had read that journal he had walked around thinking his father was an evil incarnate. Harry, his younger brother, had just ruined every argument he'd had against his father.

"I'm an idiot." He moaned into his pillow pitifully.

"Yes you are." Harry agreed full heartedly.

"I told dad I hated him, but I don't. He probably hates me." Nathan half said half cried before he started to sob into his pillow.

Harry had never really been in this position before. He was the youngest in the family so usually he was the one who was being comforted not the one giving the comfort.

Copying his mothers' technique he awkwardly hugged his brother, who was squeezing Harry's pillow so tight, Harry half expected it to rip, and rubbed circles on his back while whispering reassurances in Nathans ear.

He didn't remember when Nathan's breath evened out but he did remember pulling his comforter over both of them before falling into deep sleep.

* * *

Minerva came to the land of the living slowly. She felt completely content, if a bit sore. She stretched out her hand searching for her husband; it met nothing but crumpled sheets. Her confusion woke her fully. She knew he was lying next to her, she could feel the warmth from his body.

A moment of inspiration struck her. She slowly lifted the sheets to the bed and her heart felt like it would break at the sight before her.

Albus was there, his hair rumbled from sleep, still completely nude. His head was parallel to her stomach and he lay perfectly still his eyes never wavering from where there youngest child was growing. The scene was heartwarming or it would have been if she hadn't been able to see the fear and uncertainty in his eyes. His cerulean eyes looked terrified.

Minerva knew it had nothing to do with the child itself. He was a great father. No his fear wasn't for himself but for her. He was terrified of losing her.

She opened her mouth to say something but she could think of no words to ease his pain. She knew he lived for her. He'd told her so many times, but she lived for her children.

"I thought you looked heavier" Albus said his voice ruff with sleep. "But thought it wiser not to say anything."

Minerva stared at him for a moment wondering if she was still asleep and had dreamed that remark or if he really was clueless. "Your first assumption was correct." She said dryly as she moved under the covers with him.

His lips twitched slightly. Which was a good sign, she hated to see him sad. Albus not smiling was like the sun not shining. It was unnatural.

"How long?" he asked.

Minerva didn't need to ask what he meant. She grabbed his larger hand and laced her long fingers through his. "Poppy says the end of April, possibly later. Its too early to tell."

"Almost six months." He breathed out. His thumb was stroking the back of her hand as he sat in thought.

They laid in silence, relishing just being able to be close to one another. Here in their bedroom they were free to be as open with one another as they wished. There were no students, teachers, or ministry officials around to catch them like there were outside of their quarters. Even in their quarters they weren't completely free from scrutiny. There was always the chance of one of the couple's few friend's flooing in or even worse their children catching them in the act. They'd discovered that the hard way years ago. Nicholas hadn't stopped teasing them or making lewd gestures for months, and she remembered the time Evan had walked in on them. His exact words had been, 'Sweet Merlin you're naked and, and eww gross.' Needless to say since those two incidents, which had occurred in the same month, they'd waited till they were in their quarter to do anything more than a quick kiss, and now even a quick kiss would get a groan or a face from their two youngest children.

"I'm going to do some research. Muggle technology has come a long way. They might have something that could help us." Albus said breaking the comfortable silence with a thoughtful frown.

"There's plenty of time for that. For now we have to do something about Nathan." She said drawing his attention away from her. She knew it was a horrible thing to distract him with but she didn't want to talk about this now. There was no way they weren't having this child so there was nothing he could do. The situation with Nathan was something he could fix.

"I'm going to talk to him today. I'm going to explain everything. I won't hold anything back." Albus answered in a slightly stronger tone. It appeared he had been thinking of how to handle Nathan.

Minerva released a silent breath before leaning over to give her husband a lingering kiss on the corner of his mouth and climbing out of the bed. She hated to do it but she was a teacher and she had responsibility to her students to be prepared to teach them.

The cool draft hit her naked form immediately causing her to practically run into the bath room to get to the hot water.

She smiled to herself as she heard Albus chuckle from the bed. "I would have given you the blanket my dear." He said in a teasing voice.

"Would you have? I seem to remember a number of times when I had to wrestle that blanket from you grasp." She yelled from under the steaming hot spray of water.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He answered sounding closer than before.

She turned around slightly startled. She hadn't heard him come in and frankly she hadn't been expecting him to move from the bed for at least fifteen more minutes. He was leaning in the door way with his arms folded across his chest, watching her.

"Enjoying the view love?" she asked with an exaggerated waggle of the eye brows.

"It's stunning." He said simply. Minerva looked over her shoulder and smiled. He always knew exactly the right thing to say to make her feel like she was the only women in the world.

"There's room for one more I think." She said as she lathered a cloth and began to wash her creamy skin.

Albus smiled and joined his wife.

* * *

Husband and wife stepped out of the master bedroom forty minutes. Minerva was wearing a thin but warm black under robe, her high heeled boots were already on and she was carrying her thick teachers robe. She always waited until the last minute to put it on and put her hair up. Albus had a simple pair of grey slacks on and a blue button up shirt that Minerva said made his eyes jump out. In his hand was pair of bright orange and purple hand knitted socks that you could tell were warm by just looking at them. He wouldn't be making an appearance today. If anyone asked he had urgent business to attend to in London.

"I'll go wake the boys." Minerva said. "Do you want me to tell Nathan to meet you in your study after he eats?" she asked.

"That sounds like a good plan. I'm not really very hungry so I'll head there now to finish up some paper work." Albus said. Minerva frowned at the thought of him not eating breakfast. He usually ate like a ravenous teen age boy, but let it slide. "Have a nice day dear and please be careful." Albus said as he kissed her lightly on the lips.

"I will be." She said knowing that his mothering of her would only get worse from here on. She turned to leave but stopped only a few short steps away. "And Albus."

"Hmmm." He hummed as he jumped in place while putting one of his brightly color socks on his feet.

"Don't be too hard on Nathan." She said.

He stopped fiddling with his sock and looked at her in complete seriousness. "I'm going to tell him anything he wants to hear. I'm not mad. I knew this day would come." He said.

Minerva nodded. She understood. With Lizzy and Evan things had been different. They had been smart, but Nathan was near if not genius level. He had also been more enthralled with stories of his father's greatness more than the other children. They knew when he found out it wouldn't be pretty, but neither of them had expected him to find out so soon, or in such a manner.

Albus put his remaining sock on before turning down the hall and walking to his study. He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice Minerva watching him until he disappeared behind a closed door.

Minerva sighed and walked to her youngest son's bedroom. Harry had to wake up and get ready to go back to classes. There was only a half an hour until breakfast started and she wanted him to be able to go to his dorm first to grab his school supplies.

She opened the door slowly so as to not wake him. The sun was just rising letting a beam of reddish light filter through the semi closed curtain and fell on his bed. A myriad of emotions hit her when she saw that Nathan was lying sleeping peacefully with Harry's arm around him. Her heart broke as she saw the dark purple bruise on Nathan's cheek. She had done that to her son. She thought she could literally feel her heart tearing into little tiny pieces.

She was relieved that he looked so peaceful even if the bruise did look horrible. In her mind he looked like a wounded angel. She knew that even if Nathan forgave her she would carry the knowledge that she had hurt her son with her for the rest of her life. It was something she knew she would never forgive herself for.

She didn't have any more time to think because just then Nathans eyes fluttered open sleepily. She could read the confusion of where he was easily. What scared her were the other emotions on his face that she couldn't read. Since when couldn't she get a read on one of her children? It seemed Nathan had learned a few new things while he was away. Masking his face being one of them.

"Good morning." She said as she crossed the room. Nathan nodded warily. He clearly remembered his mother's anger from the day before.

She reached the edge of Harry's bed and shook his shoulder lightly to rouse him from his dreams. "G' 'way" he mumbled sleepily before burying his head under his pillow.

"Harry, you have to wake up." She said. He didn't move. "There's breakfast waiting for you in the Great Hall. Blue berry pancakes if I remember corrected."

"Blueberry?" he asked his head snaking out from under his pillow. Nathan rolled his eyes and climbed out of bed. Accidently or not he managed to pull all the blankets with him.

Harry sat up quickly and tried to pull the blankets back, but Nathan was bigger and stronger. The mischievous glint in his eye was the only warning Nathan had. In a swift motion Harry let go of the blanket causing Nathan to stumble. Then he whispered the summoning charm while concentrating on one of the pillows Nathan had dragged with him.

Nathan's head tilted to the side in confusion as he watched the pillow sail by him. He looked towards his mother to see if she had summoned it, but she was only standing with her arms crossed trying not to smile. Before he had time to do anything else a pillow connected with the side of his face, the side without the bruise thankfully, with enough force to make him loose his already shaking balance causing him to fall in a heap to the floor.

"That's what you get for stealing my blankets." Harry said in a thick voice. Nathan said there stunned for a moment before he burst out laughing. He doubled over holding his stomach. Harry soon joined him. "The look….on your face was….priceless." Harry gasped out.

In response Nathan chucked a pillow at his head. "Wandless magic?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yea well you've been gone for a while I had to find something to keep me occupied." Harry said with a shrug.

Minerva watched as Nathan's eyes darkened, from where she had been standing watching the boy's interaction. It had been refreshing to see Nathan with a true smile on his face. She thought now was as good at time as any to break up the fun. Harry had to get ready to go to class and Nathan had to get ready to talk to Albus.

"Boys." She said in her best no nonsense voice. Both head swiveled towards her; they had forgotten she was there. "Now that you're both up we all have a busy day ahead of us. Harry you need to take a shower and get ready for classes."

Harry's face fell. "Can't I stay out one more day? I haven't seen Nate in months." He asked with his best puppy dog impression.

Minerva's eyes soften but her resolve help firm. After years of dealing with pleading students she'd developed a tolerance towards usually heart moving looks. "No, Nathan is going to be busy today." And even though she didn't say doing what from the looks on both their faces they both knew what he was going to spend the day doing. "But I hear that your aunt is very worried about you. She'll be taking you home on Friday just to make sure you're as healthy as Madame Pomphrey says you are, and you'll be staying with her for the entire weekend." She said.

In fact there had been no such plan and she knew she should have talked about it with Albus before she made the decision but seeing both of her sons faces light up was worth any possible complications that could arise. If worse came to worse she could blame it on her pregnancy hormones.

"Wicked" Harry said as he and Nathan stood.

"Go get in the shower." Minerva said shooing him out of the room. "I'll have a house elf fetch a robe from your dormitory."

"Thanks mum. I'll see you later Nate." Harry said as he left the room.

Minerva looked around the room and was amazed that it could be in such a state after her son only sleeping in it for one night. There were clothes on the floor, toys scattered about, there was even a half eaten biscuit on the floor. She waved her wand in a short motion and everything misplaced flew back to its original position, even the bed remade itself.

Nathan stood on the other side of the room awkwardly. He didn't know what to do and he didn't just want to leave. He knew his mother wouldn't take kindly to that and at this point he didn't want to make her any angrier at him than she already was.

Minerva turned to look at Nathan. His head was tilted down and his hair fell into his face. It was cut in such a way that some of the longer strands fell down to his chin covering the ugly bruise. She stepped towards him and was relieved that he didn't flinch or back away. She knew he had every right to be angry or even afraid of her, but still a small part of her hoped he could understand that she had made a mistake and that she was sorry.

"Nathan." Minerva said softly. He didn't move or show any indication that he was listening. "Please look at me." His head tilted up slightly and Nathan looked at her through his bangs. "I wanted to apologize for hitting you yesterday," she said blinking back tears. "it was inexcusable and under normal circumstances it would have never happened."

Nathan squinted his eyes slightly and stared at Minerva with expressionless blue eyes. "I was out of line yesterday." He admitted with a shrug. "I understand. I've lived with you and dad all my life. I see how you act around each other; I grew up watching you interact. Your soul mates. I hurt the one person you're bound to, the person you love more than any other. Given the circumstances I'm glad I wasn't mauled." He said with a shaky smile at his last response.

Minerva was stunned slightly. Though knowing Nathan she should have expected it. She and Albus had never told anyone they were bound to one another. It wasn't that they were ashamed but it was more along the lines of it being a very intimate secret. It was something that they had together, something more special than anyone but a few in history could even imagine.

"You're wrong." Minerva said with sudden clarity as she understood what her son had said.

Nathans face showed confusion. "What? But I could have sworn that-"

"You're correct, as usual, that we are soul mates," Minerva said. "But you're misinformed when you say that I love your father more than anyone. I do love your father more than I can even express but I love my children more." Minerva explained simply.

"Even me? After what I did yesterday." Nathan asked. His voice was strong but to Minerva he seemed so young. It was like he was three years old again asking Albus and her if they would still love him even though they now had another son.

"I have never for even the briefest of moments not loved you." Minerva said without hesitation before pulling her teenage son into one of the breath stealing hugs that Harry had become so accustom to this year. For a moment while holding Nathan in her arms she wished that he was still the inquisitive toddler who had come running to her whenever he was hurt, instead of the agsting teen who felt the need to bottle everything up.

Nathan squeezed her back relishing in the comfort he hadn't felt in what seemed like a life time. He pulled back first and hastily wiped his slightly wet eyes.

Minerva did the same. "You should get dressed your father wants to speak with you after breakfast." Minerva said trying to return to her normal self when in reality all she wanted to do was curl up in a ball with a bar of chocolate and cry.

Nathan bit his lip and opened his mouth to say something but words failed him. Instead he nodded and left the room the same way he had entered last night.

Minerva let out a deep breath, and then left the room heading for the drawing room. Right now she wanted a cup of tea and a comfortable chair as she waited for Harry to get out of the shower and dressed.

A.N.

Hey guys sorry for the long wait. I only usually write on weekends and for the past four weeks ends I've been in the Pocono's snowboarding and then I just had my midterms in school, plus I just had three papers due. A five page and two three page papers. My five page was amazing I wrote it on Charles Darwin and how his theory of evolution has been revolutionary to the scientific world, my teacher loved it and I got a perfect score. Anyways I was excited and had to let you peoples know that. Another reason I haven't been writing is because my friend just got her license, we've been cruizing in the land rover for two weeks now. We're such goobers.

About the story I already have the next chapter started I think its mostly going to be about Nathan with some weekend family time. And as always review tell me if I sucks. And for everyone who did review that you so much I love the advice and the blessings.

Ohh and one more thing, someone reviewed anonymously, I think he thought I'd be affended or whatever, but he pointed out some very good points. I do have a lot of grammerical erros, I can't spell and I know it, its why I only have a 96 in English. Also I know my storys choppy and the begining really blows I do plan to go back and redo it when I get ahead of myself in posting chapters. I love constuctive critisism, I want you people who take the time to read my story to tell me what you think I'm doing wrong. I wont get angry I promise I'm a really mellow person.

peace,

Alisha

P.S. The New York Giants play the New England Patriots in the superbowl and I'm thrilled the Giants are my team and I'm so excited that they made it this far. Wish them luck!!


	14. Chapter 13

If I� owned Harry Potter I the sixth and seventh books would have been so much different.

This chapter was a bitch to write so review me and tell me if it was any good!

�

Nathan walked into his room in a daze. He'd thought that his mother would have given him the cold shoulder at least, but instead she apologizes to him, after what he did. He couldn't get his mind around it. Everything he had read about soul mates said that they were loyal and one hundred percent bound to their mate, partly because they shared a soul and partly because of the deep love they shared. It was phenomenal to think that his mother loved him and his siblings more than their father. It made his heart sore that he was so loved. 

Automatically he walked to his dresser and pulled out some socks and a pair of plaid briefs. He wasn't the same person that he was when he left home two months ago; he liked different things, different music, different people, and different clothes. He wanted what he wore to say that. The way he used to dress used to say that he was the good son. The son who always did as he was told and who always did everything correct. That wasn't him anymore. 

Before he grabbed a pair of black slacks, he waved his hand and his stereo turned on blasting rock music throughout the room. He looked over the slacks and shrugged they would have to do; with a shrinking charm they might even be manageable. Looking through his closet for s shirt was the hardest part. He couldn't find anything he liked. He could hardly believe he dressed like such a prat. Finally he managed to find a shirt he actually liked. It was a black and white Weird Sisters t-shirt that Evan had brought home for him two years ago. 

He pulled of his pajamas and pulled the shrunken black slacks on. They were snug all the way down his leg like he had wanted. His plaid briefs stuck out a bit in the back but he didn't mind it was part of the look. He pulled on the t-shirt without even having to shrink it because it was so old. The shirt was almost skin tight on him. He slipped on his black converse and tied the laces, glad to have something that felt worn. As an afterthought he grabbed his long black muggle dress jacket and slipped it on. 

With his outfit complete he only had to do his hair. He looked around the room thoughtfully. He'd never used hair gel before he left for Italy so there was none in his room. He grabbed his wand and conjured a pint of gel; the brand he found worked best with his hair. He twirled his wand between his fingers and stuck it in his back pocket. This was a routine he had down to a science. 

He grabbed a glob of gel and rubbed it into his hair. The top of his hair he left basically alone it didn't really need any work, it was messy enough as is, but for the hair on the back of his head he spiked it all up. It gave him a messy, I don't care what you think leave me alone, type of look and he liked it that way. 

For the past few months he'd been dressing more carefully, he wanted to look good and from his recent experiences in Italy he knew he did. He wanted people to look at him. He wanted them to stare. When he dressed how he liked he felt confident and to meet with his father today he knew he would need all the confidence he could get.

With one last approving look at himself in the mirror he left his room, the music turned off as he walked out, and followed the well known path towards to the kitchen. There was no one there and after a quick look in the drawing room he knew his mother and Harry must have already left. 

He was starved having refused every meal the house elves offered him last night. He pulled out his wand and summoned his new muggle contraption from his pants pocket of the day before. It was new from an American company called Apple. It was a hand held square box that fit nicely in his pocket and played any and all the music he wanted through head phones. He loved it and rarely didn't have it on, since one of his new friends in Italy gave it to him. 

He pressed play and was rewarded by the blaringly loud rock music he now loved. In another fifteen minute he was steadily eating his breakfast, which consisted of four eggs, three pieces of bacon, three pieces of sausage, two pieces of toast, a scoop of hash browns and a large glass of orange juice. 

When he was done his massive meal he put his dishes in the sink and watched as the disappeared. As a child it always amazed him that is until his father had told him how exactly the dishes were transported to the school's main kitchen so that the house elves could wash them. After that it had kind of lost it its magic, no pun intended. 

He looked around the kitchen wondering if there was anything else he wanted, preferably something that took a long time to cook. He knew he was delaying the inevitable confrontation with his father but so far this morning he had been doing really well at forgetting that yesterday had happened. Now that it was time to face reality all he wanted to do was turn around and run back to Italy. At least there he knew what was what. 

With a foreboding feeling he walked out of the kitchen and into the drawing room. He stopped in the middle of the room and looked at the relatively plain wooden door that was always closed. The door to his father's private office. It was one of the few places that were off limits in the families' quarters. The only people allowed in there were his father and occasionally his mother. It was where his father did all of the really important business, the type of things that couldn't be risked discovery in his headmasters office. As a child Nathan always imagined matters of national security things that only a few people would ever know. He still hadn't figured out what exactly went on in there but unlike most childish fantasies he still wasn't sure his father wasn't doing the things he had imagined as a child. In fact as he got older he was more sure that his father was doing great matters of secrecy he just couldn't prove it. 

He turned off his iPod and put the headphones in his pocket. With a deep breath he stepped towards the door and knocked before he lost his nerve. 

"Come in Nathan." His father said immediately. 

He set his face and opened the door. The room was not like he was expecting. He had been expecting something similar to his father's headmaster office, something with bright colors and odd nick-knacks. This room was dark. The walls were covered in dark mahogany book shelves; the only absence of books was a wall with a huge dark marble fire place. There was a large desk that was perfectly clear, not a single scrap of parchment laid on it. Then two dark red chairs in front of the fireplace, his father sat in one of them. 

He stood in the threshold of the room for only a minute before with a determined step walked towards the empty char that he had guessed was for him. He sat down and avoided looking at his father who hadn't taken his eyes off him since he entered the room; instead he looked into the burning red embers of the dying fire. 

After an uncomfortably long silence Albus spoke. "I think we can skip the pleasantries." Nathan didn't make any move to show that he agreed with his father or that he even heard him. He just sat perfectly still waiting for the lecture and the yelling he knew was on its way. 

"Do you know why your here?" Albus asked. Again Nathan didn't make any move to answer or to even acknowledge his father. 

Albus sighed. "I'm not angry at you, and I'm not going to start yelling at you." Albus said knowing what his son was thinking. There was a flash of panic in Nathans eyes as he realized his father had just used legilimency on him. "And no I'm not 'reading' your mind." Albus said. "I'm reading your body language."

Nathan felt a rush of relief. He hated the thought of anyone being in his head. Ever since he had found out about the art while in Italy he had read everything he could on the subject. He had known that this was one skill his father had to have.

"I asked you to come here so that we could talk. I want to explain to you the things you read. I want you to understand." Albus continued. 

Nathan stayed quiet but it was becoming harder for him. For weeks after he had read the journal all he had wanted to do was ask why and now the offer was almost too tempting. 

Albus sat back and settled into his chair. It looked like he was getting ready to tell a story like had when they were younger. 'But' Nathan thought. 'I bet this one is half as pleasant'

"My childhood was not something I would wish to repeat." Albus said choosing his words carefully. "My family was a very proud, very influential, and very traditional pureblood family. They believed in purity of blood, old money and lineage." Nathan wasn't that shocked. He had guessed that from some of the insults thrown around by the portraits at the Dumbledore Estate. 

"My father was very involved in politics and held a lot of clot in the ministry. I remember him as a very controlling man. We were to be the perfect pure blood family. 

"I was the eldest and as such I was heavily trained in etiquette, politics, society, and of course magic, from an early age. As the heir to such a well known pureblood family I had to be the best at everything. Being second best was not "acceptable" as my father had often said. 

"My brother Aberforth was born when I was three years old but it was obvious very early on that he did not have the same flare for magic that I did. This in my father eyes was also not "acceptable". I have never denied that Aberforth was treated secondary to myself. He wasn't abused physically, the son of such a prominent family had to been seen well cared for, but he was neither loved nor cared for. 

"My sisters' birth was a catalyst in the Dumbledore family. My mother who was always a physically weak woman did not survive the birth for more than a week. It was an infection that killed her I was later told. 

"For years my mother had acted as a buffer for us children to my father's less forgiving side. With her gone there was no protection. Until that point I had idolized m father. In the mind of a six year old rather spoiled boy he was the perfect example of everything a man should be. 

"I was amazed with little Ariana. She was so small and so dependent on everyone else around her. I found it fascinating that she was my sister. I suppose it was something akin to yours and Harry's relationship. The love for a younger sibling is not easy put into words, one has to experience it. My sisters' birth brought me closer to Aberforth and the three of us soon grew very close. My siblings looked up to me and I cherished them.

"This as you can imagine angered my father. He did not want me to associate with "lesser creatures". His disapproval of Aberforth had turned into a near hatred and he despised Ariana for taking his trophy wife and ruining his perfect image to society. 

"I will not bore you with the details of those years but I will say that they were not pleasant and I lost all respect for the man I called father. 

"The summer after my first years at Hogwarts my father in a drunken rage killed Ariana, she was six. I tried and failed to protect her, but my underage use of magic did alert the ministry of some troubles. They sent a representative to the house to investigate what had happened. The ministry worker arrived in time to subdue my father before he could do Aberforth or I any real damage."

Nathan couldn't take his eyes off his father while his father looked resolutely into the fire place. Their positions completely reversed from fifteen minutes ago. Nathan had always wondered why his father never talked about his childhood. He'd always assumed it had been normal and similar to how 'proper' pureblood children were raised. The only stories he had heard about his father's past involved his mother. He had come to meet his father telling himself that nothing his father said could change his mind about his father's actions but already he found himself horrified at the tragic tale.

"I gained control of my families holdings providing I met the ministry standard care for my brother, which wasn't really a problem. I hired a nanny and a tutor for the two years before he went off to Hogwarts to keep him occupied while I was away. Life went on, but Aberforth and I never regained the closeness we shared in our youth. 

"It was in the summer after my sixth year that I became politically active. I voted in the Wizengamot and hung around the ministry generally trying to make a good impression. People still hadn't forgotten my father and his insane rage but they had heard great things about me from Hogwarts. I was generally well received and most of the ministry saw me as a prodigy. The undersecretary to the Minister, someone I was trying to get to give me an intern job, asked me to play host to his distant nephew. I accepted and two days later Gellert Grindelwald came to the villa Aberforth and I had been living in.

"Gellert was handsome, charismatic, and very powerful. He was also five years older than me. I saw his power and I thought that that was all that mattered. He stayed for the entire summer and I grew to look up to him as I once did my father. I was enthralled with him and Aberforth hated him. My thirteen year old brother could see Gellert for what he was but I in all of my infinite wisdom couldn't see he was using me. This drove my brother and I even further apart.

"To describe our relationship simply; he became the father figure I had been missing in my life. He exploited my need for approval and acceptance, while stroking my ego." Albus said this last part with a bitter smile towards his son before looking back to some point in the dying embers. 

"While I was in school we wrote each other continuously and it was during Christmas holidays that we started to make plans for the perfect world, everything we talked about is written in that journal you found. 

"It was in the summer after graduation that I lost my trust in Gellert. We had been in the study all afternoon and it was becoming dark. Aberforth came in the room to ask if we were coming down for dinner or if he should tell the elves to keep our plates warm. It was a simple question and I understood that Abe didn't want to be left alone any longer, I'd been ignoring him since Gellert had come. 

"Gellert saw that I was getting up to leave and he disapproved. He slapped Abe and threw him out of the study, slammed the door and told me that we weren't done working. We argued and eventually we came to blows. He was physically stronger than me left me a bit bloodied.

"After Gellert left Abe came into the room and told me again that Gellert was bad news and I finally believed him. I closed off the wards to him and locked the floo address before staying locked in the study for another week to review what we had been planning. 

"Rereading what we had written left me disgusted with myself and it reinforced my belief that Gellert was not someone I wanted to be around. And that was the end of my friendship with Gellert Grindelwald.

"I went on to become Nicolas's apprentice; we discovered the twelve uses of dragon's blood together and some other useful little tidbits. But most importantly Nicolas provided me with a father figure that wasn't trying to use or hurt me. I credit him for everything good I've ever done in my life, including marrying your mother. 

"I stayed with Nicolas until I was twenty seven. He told me to get some real world experience and sent me off to the Auror program. I was tested then immediately accepted due to my very thorough training with Nicolas. 

"I got tired of being mobbed by the public; I was already something of a celebrity, so I left the ministry and applied for the transfiguration position at Hogwarts. I met your mother and we were married in the muggle world after she graduated. 

"During all of this time I stayed clear of international ministry meeting so I wouldn't have to meet Gellert. He had gone home to Germany and was gaining political power rapidly. They already had him pegged for the next German Minister. It was about the time that I started teaching at Hogwarts that news came of him being in an accident and then nothing for a while. He dropped into the woodwork and I didn't hear from him again until your mothers and mine one year anniversary. 

"He sent me a letter telling me that our noble cause was about to commence and that he wanted me to join him on his quest for the greater good. I didn't answer the letter. Over the next few years' dark activity increased until it became apparent that the muggle war going on had magical roots. Gellert was advising that insane muggle Hitler and was having buildings with magical occupants bombed or destroyed. 

"I opted to stay out of the fight. I was perhaps over confident in the ministry and under confident in Gellert. I didn't think he could achieve anything beyond a small skirmish." Albus sighed and shook his head in what Nathan thought was disappointment. 

Nathan expected his father to start talking again but the man sat in a pensive silence for a few minutes; it looked as if he were in deep thought. Nathan stayed still not wanting to disturb his father. As he sat in the absolute silence guilt wracked through him. He couldn't believe what he had done. He was supposed to be the intelligent one in the family. He knew he had hurt his father; it was what he had intended to do. He had yelled those words in hopes of hurting him. 

Now the past two months seemed so wasted, everything he had done was wrong. Instead of investigating and talking with his father he had jumped to conclusions. He felt like he should be the one apologizing and explaining, not his father. 

Albus waved his hand suddenly and startled Nathan. From a cabinet beside the dark oak desk came floating a bottle of dark amber fluid and two crystal tumblers. Albus caught the bottle and the tumbles lowered themselves down gently onto the table. The bottle was only a third full and Nathan was somewhat shocked. He'd never expected his father to be the kind of man to drink, though now that he thought about it, it did make sense. Albus's jobs were very stressful and he likely dealt with more than most wizards could think of handling. He was a Headmaster, Government advisor, Wizengamot head, national hero, not to mention husband and father. Nathan felt a rush of pride for the man sitting in front of him, something he hadn't felt in almost two months. 

Nathan was broken out of his thoughts when Albus slid a glass over to him. Nathan's eyes widened and he looked at his father in surprise. Blue met blue and Nathan tried not to remember the hurt he had seen in them the previous night. He looked down and hesitantly took the tumbler. It was only filled very slightly a third of what his father had. 

Nathan shot a quick look to the door before taking a large sip. That was a mistake. It felt like fire or liquid acid was shooting down his throat into his stomach. His eyes watered and his gag reflexes were straining. By some miracle he swallowed the mouth full and took a gasp of air. That was another mistake. The cold air in the room made his throat burn nearly as badly as before. This time he couldn't hold back the hacking coughs. All he could think about was the horrible burning in his throat. 

The burning subsided after a few minutes and he became aware of someone rubbing his back trying to comfort him. He knew that it was his father just by the scent, a unique mixture of sandalwood, parchment, lemons and his mother's lavender bath soap. He looked up with slightly teary eyes. 

There was his father looking tired. There were bags under his eyes and his face looked weary, but there was no hiding the strong love that Nathan could see etched into every angle of his face. He quickly averted his eyes again the guilt becoming almost unbearable. 

"Small sips, son, small sips." Albus said in a soft voice. Nathan felt him squeeze his shoulder one last time before going back to his chair. 

Nathan sat up and cast a weary glance at the glass of the foul drink. "A little warning would have been nice." He said with a scowl. Immediately his face changed. He didn't want his father to think he was still angry with him and acting angry wasn't the best of ideas. 

Albus didn't retort but Nathan thought his eyes seemed to have a glimmer of their usual twinkle in them. 

Albus took a small sip of the amber liquid before he began talking again. "I had no intention of ever fighting with Gellert again; I never wanted to see him again if it was possible. I watched as the war got worse and worse from the safety Hogwarts, your mother was a godsend. She was my rock. 

"Then in 1945 Gellert attacked did something I couldn't ignore. Aberforth had gone out and got married a few years previous, they had a beautiful daughter. She had strawberry blonde hair and bright blue eyes. We weren't close but we did see each other on holidays and had dinner every once in a while. 

"Gellert had never forgotten my brother's interruption that night. He apparently blamed him for my abandonment of him. Gellert attacked them at their home during the weekend. Aberforth had gone to Diagon Alley for something or another and had no idea. Gellert tortured, raped, and cursed his wife, Elizabeth; the same went for Anna their daughter." Nathan felt himself swallow bile; his already upset stomach was churning. Without thinking his hands sought out the crystal tumbler and he took a much smaller sip. This time the warm liquid spread warmth throughout his body and left him feeling slightly numb. A welcomed feeling. 

"Aberforth came home and found the bodies of his family. Gellert had left after he lost interest in Anna." This time in was Albus who took a sip of the amber liquid. They both sat in silence, Albus with memories and Nathan with an imagination that more than sickened him. 

"My brother wasn't the same after that. I tried what I could to console him but he would take none of it. He blamed me for helping to create and not stopping the monster that slaughtered his family. He's actually the first person to break my nose." As Albus said this his long figure caressed the long healed wound. 

"For the next three days I went a bit mad, I went to Germany, searching for Gellert's hideout. I found it and walked right in. It wasn't long before I was being attacked by his minions and I dare say I killed a fair few of them. When I found him he was sitting in an empty room smiling. He said he knew I would come and that he needed no thanks for taking care of pesky brother. He had no doubt that Aberforth would kill himself soon. 

"I confronted him and he seemed genuinely shocked that I hadn't come to join his forces but to kill him. We fought but I was tired. I had been up for three days, I was emotionally and physically exhausted, not the best way to face a Dark Lord. Also at that time I was a transfiguration teacher with only two years auror experience, I wasn't a fighter, that wasn't how I was trained. I should have died that day." Albus said bluntly. Nathan winced and took another sip of his drink. 

"Gellert had me beaten and broken on the floor. He was ranting at me about how we could have ruled the world together. I remember thinking of your mother and about how happy we had been together and how I would never see her again. Almost as if summoned the door blew open and in stormed your mother. I don't think I've ever seen her so angry. If you think she's terrifying now multiply that by ten thousand 

and add in her all black dragon hide battle armor." Albus said the last part with a half smile and Nathan found himself half amused and half terrified. His mother was seriously the scariest person he knew and would ever know. 

"Your mother had been working as an auror for a few years and she was very good, the best in our ministry, but Gellert was insane and very powerful. I knew that Minerva didn't have much of a chance to beat Gellert alone so I joined the fray again. We over powered him together and I finally killed him with a well placed severing curse.

"That was the end of Gellert. Ever since your mother and I have been living here, working, and raising a family." There was another prolonged silence as Nathan sat in thought. He felt completely ashamed and all he wanted to do was go back in time and stop himself from being such a prat. 

"And Nathan?" Albus said. Nathan looked up and met his father's gaze. "I never had any intension of hiding this from you. Both Lizzy and Evan know, I told them when they became of age. I had planned to do the same for all my children but you always did move faster than expected."

Albus's words were not angry or accusatory, but now knowing this Nathan felt like a complete fool. He looked down and studied his hands, trying to control the wetness behind his eyes.

"I…I'm sorry." He burst out suddenly. "I…I….I don't hate you and I was so confused and angry, but I…I didn't mean it." He didn't start to cry but his breath quickened until he felt like he couldn't get any air in his lungs. 

"Nathan!" Albus said sternly as he saw his son's skin pale and heard his rapid breathing. Blue eyes met his and there was such an array of emotion in Nathans eyes that Albus couldn't distinguish them from one another. "Breathe" he said as he kneeled down in front of Nathan. 

Nathan nodded but his breath remained rapid and uncontrollable. "I think you're having a panic attack, just breathe when I tell you, and I promise everything will be okay soon." Nathan nodded slightly showing he understood. "Breathe in." Albus said then a few moments later said "Breathe out." They repeated this process for several minutes until Nathans breathing evened out. 

"Are you okay?" Albus asked gently. 

Nathan nodded his head shakily as he tried to compose himself. That was the scariest thing he'd ever been through. It was even worse than when he had gotten lost in the forest surrounding the McGonagall family manor when he was nine. 

Bonelessly he slid out of the chair and into his father's arms. He felt a bit childish but all he wanted right now was to feel safe and the place he felt the safest outside of his mother's arms was his fathers. His father griped him tightly and Nathan squeezed him back so hard that his finger nails ripped his father's robe and scratched his back pretty badly. 

Father and son separated eventually and again it was Albus who first spoke. "I think we should put these past two months behind us, but let's not forget the lessons we have learned during them."

Nathan sniffed and nodded as he stood up, his knee's protesting slightly as they stretched from their previously cramped position. He offered his father a hand up and his heart lightened when his father took it. They sat in their chairs again and again Albus was the first to speak. 

"How was Italy? I know Lizzy and Evan thought it was a bit boring and much too historical but your mother and I thought that you out of all our children would appreciate what the city offers to teach visitors." Albus half asked half explained, moving on to a new topic of conversation, a less painful one for sure.

Nathan rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "The city does have a lot to teach you." He agreed. 

Albus narrowed his eyes, one thing hadn't changed. Nathan was a horrible liar. "What exactly did you learn?" he asked in a neutral voice. 

"Nothing much." Evaded Nathan without much skill. "I did explore a bit of the underground though, met a lot of new people, and had a lot of fun."

Albus let it go. He knew his son had most likely done some things he hadn't approved of but he didn't want to know. Out of all his children he trusted Nathan's judgment the most. Nathan always knew when enough was enough and even with recent event Albus had no doubt in his son's abilities. 

"Did you make any friends?" Albus asked. It was a routine question that he always asked and he always knew the answer. His children had friends in almost every country in Europe; something he was hoping would help them in the future. 

Nathan smiled. "I made a few actually. There's this on guy Chris, his dad owns property in Italy, but their originally from the states. His dads like mega rich in the muggle world, he helped found this company called apple. He's got a wicked sense of humor and he knows everybody who's anyone in the city. He also gave me this thing called an iPod; it's amazing I'll show it to you later." Nathan said with a happy smile. It felt good to just talk to his dad again. 

"Then there's Nicolai, he's another one of Leone's pupils. He's brilliant. Very smart in theories and formulas but he's rubbish when it comes to practical application. He's an okay guy though; we've gotten into a few debates on magical theory and the like. 

"Then there's Michele, she's very nice." Nathan said and didn't elaborate. 

Albus grinned. "She's 'nice'?" he asked with a smile, purposely trying to embarrass his son. 

Nathan looked his father right in the eye with a cocky smile and without hesitating said. "Very nice." Albus was impressed; there wasn't even the slightest sign that Nathan was uncomfortable. His son was getting good. He could still make Evan blush like he was twelve. 

"Did you learn anything?" Albus asked. 

"Not as much as you would think." Nathan said with a frown. 

"And why is that?"

Nathan shrugged. "A lot of it I read about before, it was mostly just practical experience. Though I did learn a thing or two, but it wasn't as much as I was expecting. I was actually kind of disappointed."

"That doesn't surprise me. Have you decided what field you want to study next?" 

Nathan shifted in his chair and avoided looking at his father. "Well I've been thinking a lot lately and I've been reading a lot too. I've kind of decided that after I get my NEWT's I'd like to study in the muggle world for a bit. There are so many fields of science and mathematics that they've explored thoroughly but wizards completely ignore. I want to take a look at them."

Albus settled into his chair and scratched his chin. "I think it's a fine idea, but I'll leave it up to you to tell your mother." Albus saw Nathans somewhat shocked looked and laughed. "You didn't think I'd make you stay in the magical world did you. Even I've attended some muggle seminars and classes, Nicolas thought the same things some seventy years ago." 

"What sort of courses have you taken?" Nathan asked. He'd never heard of his father doing this before. 

"Mostly psychology, some child raising classes, and at least three physics lectures. It's all very fascinating." Albus said. 

The pair sat in silence for a minute before Albus pulled a shrunken chess set out of his pocket. "Would you like to play?" he asked as he enlarged the small end table in between the chairs. 

"I'd like that." Nathan said with a smile. "But you do realize you're going to lose, horribly, and dreadfully."

"I my child, have years of experience on my side." Albus said in his best headmaster voice. 

"That doesn't make up for a lack of skill." Nathan said then covered his mouth with his hand so his father wouldn't see the huge smile that had bloomed. 

Albus plastered an incredulous look on his face and put a hand over his heart. "You wound me." He said with a hidden smile. 

Both man and boy smiled happy to have everything back to normal.

�

A.N.

I'm sorry for he late update but it couldn't be avoided. My uncle was diagnosd with terminal cancer. He killed himself. We weren't really close but I've been trying to help my cousins get through it. I know what it feels like to lose a father so�I was deemed most apprpriate to keep them company.

On a happier note I've decided that highschools jus not for me. I'm going to apply for a jump start program that will allow me to leave schol early and go to college next year.�I'm super excited because�I haven't learned anything�in highschool other than�the fact that navy blue and black do not match.�

I can't give you a good estimate on when my next chapter should be out because�I don't even know, and before�I post a new chapter�I want to go back and�fix my earlier chapters.

As always tell me what you think. Love it or Hate it. I don't care. Reviews just make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Peace, 

Alisha���


	15. Authors Note

I'm half way done writing chapter fourteen but I don't think I'll be finishing anytime soon. I told you all that my uncle died last month so things have been difficult but on Saturday my cousin died. He overdosed and wasn't found until the next day. He was like my brother; he was raised right next store to me for my entire life. He was 19 and joining the military, one fuck up and he's gone, I think I'm still in denial. My family is falling apart and I'm an emotional train wreck. I need time.

If I stop crying continuously within the next week I'll make writing my refuge but I wouldn't count on it. I'm sorry.

Alisha

P.S. I'm not abandoning this story, i just ned time to staighten out my life.


	16. Chapter 14

I do not own Harry Potter. The only things that belong to me are my thoughts.

Harry was bored. He'd been back in class for all of one day and he was already caught up with his peers. In fact he had never been behind in the first place. For the two days he was out of class he'd been assigned two essays for potions and transfiguration, and he had to read one chapter in his charms book.

The essays were easy and he had already read his entire charms book, so he had reviewed the assigned material, but found himself unable to concentrate. He was so bored. He wanted to do something. He wasn't used to sitting around lazily.

The sun was shining brightly outside and there was still a good two hours of sunlight left, but yet he was sitting inside Gryffindor Tower.

He sighed for what felt like the hundredth time in the past hour as he looked down and tried to focus on Fred and George's chess match. It didn't hold his attention for long. Both Fred and George we horrible players. Not to say he was unbeatable but he was rather good. His mother was one of the best chess players in both the wizarding and muggle worlds. She had a talent for strategy that went well beyond the minds of most men.

Having been raised by her he had managed to pick up a thing or two. He smiled briefly as he remembered watching Ron Weasley prance around the common room after beating a fifth year at the game. Harry had seen a few plays and he wasn't impressed.

He wished he could go do something he was so bloody bored. Normally when he was bored he would go to the complex and play football with-. His mind stopped working at that thought and a moment later he was dashing up the stairs to his dorm.

His face broke into a huge smile as he sat on his knees rummaging through his mess that he called a trunk. It had been a few weeks, maybe months since he had seen the need to clean it. His junk section was particularly disorderly.

His hands felt something round and he smiled victoriously as he pulled a black and white checkered ball out of the mess. Not even remembering to close his trunk he stormed back down the stairs into the common room.

Many people looked up as he came down, some of the perfects glaring at him for making so much noise and disturbing the students working on their assignments.

Harry paid them no mind. Nothing could take the smile off his face.

"Oi Harry!" Fred called out completely forgetting about his and George's chess game.

"What's that?" said George looking pointedly at Harry's football.

"And where do you think you're going-" Added Fred abandoning chess and walking towards Harry.

"Without us?" Said George walking beside his twin toward Harry.



"Outside?" Harry said uncertainly. "And this is my football." He added as an afterthought.

"And what do you-"

"do with a 'football'" Asked the twins.

"You kick it." Harry said with a grin. The twins nodded with looks of understanding but Harry could tell that they were lost and had no idea what he was talking about. "Would you like to come with me?" he asked.

"How nice of-"

"you to offer." The twins said.

Before Harry could say anything else the twins each grabbed him by an arm and were dragging him out of the common room. George had taken the ball and was looking at, occasionally turning it so as to see it from a new angle.

On the way down to the grounds they stopped by the library and got Seamus. Harry knew he was crazy about football and he couldn't leave his best friend out of the fun. Surprisingly a few other kids in the library had asked if they could go to.

Mostly upper year Muggleborns and halfbloods who knew how to play and thought it would be fun, but there were a couple purebloods who asked if they could join. One was a fourth year named Cedric Diggory.

In total they wound up with twelve people wanting to play. Eight of which already knew how to play. They split the teams evenly with four experienced players and two inexperienced players on each team.

At first the game was slow as the purebloods were getting a feel for the game and the muggleborns and halfbloods were reacquainting themselves with it. Soon though the game picked up a faster pace and Harry stopped holding back and played to the best of his ability.

He was easily the best person on the impromptu field. He would dribble the ball down the center, fake out and cause people to trip over their own two feet, then score easily.

"Merlin Harry give a guy a chance." Panted Cedric from his hunched over position. He was sweaty and his uniform was covered in mud and grass stains but the smile on his face told a different story.

"What can't keep up Cedric?" Harry said jestingly. His oxford pants were completely beyond repair even with the help of magic. His once white button up dress shirt was permanently open and the white undershirt was covered in mud and grass stains. He had ripped a strip of his sleeve off and had used it as a sweat band to keep his hair out of his eyes. He was disgustingly dirty but he was the happiest he'd been since he came to Hogwarts.

The rest of the makeshift teams didn't look any better. George even had a split lip from where he had used his face to block an open net goal.



After their very revealing talk Nathan and Albus spent the rest of the day together, talking, playing, eating and Nathan even showed his father some of the charms he had learned in Italy.

They were sitting in the headmaster office and Albus was explaining the little known theory of wandless magics. They had gotten into the discussion when Nathan told his father of Harry's impressive displays.

"Your magic is like a muscle, if you use it regularly it will stay strong, if you want to make your magic stronger use your magic more often. Muggleborns sometimes make the mistake that wizards are lazy because most of us use our magic for an assortment of small tasks, thus using it continuously, making it stronger, exercising our magical muscles if you will."

"Yes but what about Harry. He just started using magic and he's already using wandless magic. He does it with ease too, nothing like my first attempts." Nathan said perplexed.

"You forget that he may have been perfecting it for nigh two months. Which sounds about right for gaining enough magical strength to summon something wandlessly. Also he is much more disciplined than his peers and you for that matter. He's been through six years of martial arts training, something if I remember correctly you scorned." Albus said with a teasing smile.

"At the time my books seemed much more important to me. Ohh and we cannot forget to add to the equation that Harry is much more powerful than the average wizard."

Albs raised an eyebrow at his son. "It is true that he is much more powerful than even he realizes but power is only a portion of the equation. Nearly everyone has the potential to be accomplished in wandless magic, but almost no one has the strength of will or the focus to follow through with such a path. It is a failing of some of the most accomplished wizards and witches around."

Nathan sat in a thoughtful silence for nearly a minute before speaking again. "Would occlumency help with my focus and in turn with my wandess magic?" he asked his face contemplative.

Albus's face brightened. "Wonderful! This is why you are considered the smart one in the family." Nathan leaned back in his chair and stuck his nose up in the air at his father jokingly. "Occlumency will help you a great deal, would I be mistaken if I assumed that you had already started to practice the art?" Nathan shook his head negatively with a grin on his face. "If you would like I have a few tombs on the subject that will make it much easier to understand and if you have any questions I'll always be here."

"Thank you." Nathan said sincerely knowing his father's words held a deeper meaning. He opened his mouth to say something else but before he could formulate a sentence the door to his father's office slammed open causing some of the clutter to fall onto the floor and smash. These happenings went unnoticed.



"Do you know what your son is doing?" Screeched Minerva McGonagall, her hair was a mess, her cheeks were flushed and she looked furious.

"Quietly studying in his dorm and planning how best to please you?" Albus said hesitantly. Minerva's eyes flared and she slowly and deliberately grounded out the world 'No'.

"Freeing the world from hunger by saving one starving kitten at a time?" Nathan interjected with a barely concealed smile.

Albus shook his head sadly. "I'm retracting my earlier statement about you." He mumbled but Nathan heard him. Miraculously Minerva didn't for she was breathing too loudly.

Minerva glared at Nathan and Nathan did the wise thing and stopped smiling. His mother may have had a lithe frame but he knew she could easily kick his ass across the country without a wand. She had lived and fought in two wars and was second to dueling to only his father and dueling at their level required not only magical skill but a finely toned and disciplined body.

"Your son has organized an impromptu football match and is playing that abominable game on the grounds." She said in a voice laced with barely constrained fury.

Albus and Nathan exchanged skeptical looks. Minerva had never really like Harry playing football because it was a rough sport but it was no worse than the other activities they were prone to do when bored.

"Minerva, love, why don't you sit down." Albus advised as the stood up and held out his arms as to guide his wife to an unoccupied chair.

Minerva huffed but did as he suggested. "I'm not an invalid, Albus and I don't appreciate you treating me as such." Minerva snapped. Nathan was slightly shocked at how his mother was speaking to his father. They always spoke kindly to each other and they hardly ever argued.

"No you're pregnant and as that's the case I will treat you as delicately as your condition permits." Albus said in a firm tone, one that left no room for argument.

Nathan blinked and zoned out. It was certainly possible, his parents were still relatively young by wizard standards, only middle aged. He just tried to avoid ever thinking of his parent displaying any shows of affection more than a quick kiss, anything else had him reciting the twelve usages of dragons blood.

Nathan shook his head; he did not want to think about anything remotely like that. He looked towards his mother and noticed she seemed to have deflated and looked somewhat ashamed of herself. Which was a first in Nathans book; he'd never seen her look anything but confident. Even when she cried unabashedly she still held a measure of poise and self respect that Nathan knew no one else could ever replicate.



"Now that you're somewhat yourself again why don't you tell me what has you so upset?" Albus asked gently, his voice held such tenderness and love that it made Nathan feel like he was intruding on something he'd rather never know about.

Tears welled up in her eyes causing pang in Nathans heart. He hated to see his mother upset.

"I'm sorry Albus, but you know how I worry and their playing very rough with no one acting as a referee. They could get hurt." She said in a low pained voice.

Albus ran his hands up and down her arms in a comforting manner. "I'm sure they'll be fine but just in case I'll send someone to go checkup on them. Is that okay?" he asked.

Minerva nodded and sniffed back her tears. "Thank you."

Albus looked toward his son who looked slightly uncomfortable at their interaction but had remained silent.

"Nathan could you please go and fetch your Aunt Rolanda and go with her to supervise the children?" Albus asked.

"What do I say when people ask who I am?" Nathan asked.

"You're Rolanda's home schooled nephew who is visiting her at work." Albus said.

Nathan nodded. He crossed the room and gave his mother a quick hug and kiss on the cheek, then left.

Once he was outside his father's office he used his minimal skill occlumency to block out everything he had just heard. He couldn't believe his mother was pregnant. Not that he was averse to having another sibling but it was well known in his family of the disaster that was his birth. It had nearly killed his mother.

He didn't know what he'd do without his mother. Hell his entire family would fall apart without her. He knew his father would fall to pieces without her and that Harry still depended on her a great deal he was only eleven. He himself was fourteen and still he depended on his mother for all his emotional and physical problems.

The past two months without her to lean on had completely thrown off his mental well being. He had gone a bit mad there for a minute and it was his mother who had slapped sense into him, quite literally.

Shaking his head he took a deep breath and let all of those thoughts slip away, he would not think of that now. His thoughts cleared and he grinned at his successes. 'Merlin I'm good.' He thought to himself cockily.

He knew the way to his aunt's room by heart; he would be surprised if he ever forgot them. As a child he and his siblings had spent a good amount of time in her rooms. Her rooms were just about half way up the North tower, they had a great view of the quidditch pitch.



In the halls he passed quite a few students. The boys shot him confused looks while the girls stared after him with interest for other reasons. Even a few of the seventh years he passed stared openly at him not trying to hide their intentions. Having older beautiful women stare after you had to be one of the best ego boost Nathan had ever received. It was good to know that his efforts to look good had paid off.

He reached his aunts room and knocked loudly, she didn't answer. He shrugged and pulled out his wand and cast a _reducto_ curse at her door. The door shattered and he walked into her apartments with a smug smile. She was going to be so angry.

"Aunt Rolanda!" he called loudly in a sing song voice throughout the rooms with an amplifying charm on his voice box. There was a crash from the bedroom. His aunt stumbled out of her room with her hair a mess and her clothing askew.

She stood at an average five seven with a quidditch player's body that all men would consider attractive. She had short spiky grey hair and hawk like eyes.

"Aunt Rolanda," Nathan admonished with a cheery smile. "Sleeping at this time of the day, shame on you." He fought hard to keep the devilish smirk off his face he really did, but he couldn't stop himself.

He was going to have to share the look of absolute shock on his aunt's face with his dad later, it was priceless.

To Nathans disappointment her shocked look was soon replaced with a happy smile. "Is that ickle Natie-poo looking so grown up?" She said as she crossed the room and gave him a large hug. "Sweet Merlin you're nearly as tall as I am!" she exclaimed.

"Growth spurt!" Nate provided. "I've been eating my vegetables."

Rolanda released him from her claw like grip and took a step back, but before she could say anything the door to her bedroom opened and a sloppily dressed man hurried out wand in hand. "Where's the fire?" he called out dumbly. Nathans smile got bigger as he assessed the man. He was attractive and looked to be a quidditch player, judging by the dumb look on his face and the jersey he was wearing. He most likely was an old team mate of his aunts.

"A team reunion?" he asked lightly, his face threatening to explode into one great big smile.

Rolanda flushed and closed her eyes in mortification. "Leave Joey." She said through gritted teeth.

Nate's smile got larger. "Don't let me ruin your afternoon, Aunt Rolanda. I don't want to interrupt." He said innocently, Joey looked lost.

Rolanda glared at him, her hawk like eyes narrowing dangerously. "Nathan go wait in the drawing room I'll be in shortly." She said firmly.



Nathan merely smiled pleasantly. "Of course, Aunt Rolanda." He said walking out of the door. It might not have been the smartest thing but he couldn't resist. "Kiss him for me." He said cheekily, closing the door just in time to block the stinging hex that shot from his aunt's wand.

Chuckling to himself he sat in his aunt's large leather arm chair with one leg lazily swung over the arm rest. He felt like he'd done a good deed, his quota was done for the week. When she walked in ten minutes later, her outfit looking impeccable, he was engrossed in a book on racing broom manufacturing.

"Hello." Nathan said pleasantly not looking up from his book.

His aunt glared at him and took a seat in the chair opposite to his own. "It's good to see you too nephew of mine, now what do you want?" Rolanda said with a somewhat scary smile. Nathan reminded himself to watch his back his aunt always was somewhat of a sadistic prankster, as he closed the book he was reading and banished it back to the bookshelf.

"My father sent me here. Harry has started an impromptu football game on the grounds and mother is worried that they'll hurt themselves without proper supervision. You were elected to be referee and you're to bring your home schooled nephew who has so thoughtfully taken time off from his studies to come visit his favorite aunt." Nathan said in a diplomatic voice, not one hint of his underlying amusement was visible. He knew how his aunt would most definitely not be happy about spending her free time watching a group of kids play instead of doing other more… pleasurable activities.

His aunt actually growled before jumping up and ranting with language that would make the patrons of Nocturn alley proud. After she settle down and accepted that as headmaster she couldn't disembowel him, without getting fired and possibly imprisoned.

"Let's go." She snapped at Nathan who had gone back to reading his book. She stormed out of the drawing room and Nathan quickly stood up and stepped behind the chair for cover.

"What the BLOODY HELL HAPPENED HERE?" she yelled as she saw her door scattered about the door in a million tiny pieces. "NATHAN, COME HERE!" she shouted.

"Promise not to harm me." Nate yelled mirth lacing his voice. He loved to make his aunt angry.

"I won't hurt you much." She said as she walked into the room and in hand looking like a tiger hunting for her prey.

Nathan cast a shield charm and stuck his head out. His aunt jumped into action and shot a purple hex at him. It bounced off his shield and hit the ceiling. "If you hurt me I wont be able to tell you the big news." He said quickly as another curse bounce off his shield.

His aunt paused. "Big news. What big news?" she asked with interest her wand still at the ready.

"The very secret and astonishing kind of big news." Nathan said knowing his aunt was a sucker for gossip and that he now had his freedom from what had promised to be a painful experience.



"Tell me!" his aunt demanded with a wicked gleam in her eyes.

"Swear that you won't hurt me." He said in a light voice as he fully stood up and leaned against the wall casually.

"I swear on my life that I won't harm you." His aunt said quickly. She even put her wand away.

"You won't believe what I found out this morning." Nathan said with a big smile as he walked towards his aunt.

His aunt grabbed his arm and they walked arm in arm out of the castle down to the grounds where the impromptu soccer game was being held.

"Adam?"

"No way!" Nathan laughed. "You know my parents. One name of Gaelic origin for mom's side of the family, then one name that starts with 'A' from dads side of the family, and finally a name they think suits the child."

"Why in Merlin's name does everything they do have to be so damned complicated." Rolanda Hooch said with a huff. Her annoyed expression slid off her face as quickly as it had come. "We're having another baby!" she said joyfully.

"If you like baby's so much go have one of your own." Nathan said.

Rolanda snorted very unladylike. "Me raising children? Ha! Natie if Hogwarts didn't cook all my meals I would starve. Besides I like babies sometimes, I can't imagine having one around constantly."

"You're great with us." Nathan pointed out. "And we were always around before everyone went off to school."

"Yes but at the end of the day when you were crying and fussing I could go home and leave your parents with the job of calming you down." Rolanda said with a smile.

Nathan would have answered but at that moment a ball came flying towards them. His aunt screamed and hit the floor and he stood there as the ball dropped from the air and rolled to a stop in front of him.

"And here I thought you would have been used to balls in your face." Nathan said in a completely serious voice as he easily kicked the ball back to the waiting players.

Rolanda sputtered in shock as she pulled herself up from the ground. "Who are you and what have you done with my sweet and innocent nephew?" she asked somewhat seriously.

Nathan ignored her question and started to walk towards the group of students who had paused their game and we're watching him approach.



Rolanda growled before catching up with her wayward nephew. "Don't think just because you can walk faster than me that that excuses you from answering? You have changed since I've last seen you. I would just like to know what exactly you've been doing while on your little exile from the family." She said.

Nathan didn't react to her question except by a stiffened posture and a slight narrowing of his eyes slightly. The playful air that had previously been between them was gone replaced by a tense silence. Rolanda Hooch was worried about the change in her normally cheerful and somewhat shy nephew into this outlandish and moody young man.

When they were about twenty yards from the assembled players Harry and Cedric stepped forward, as they were the unofficial captains of their own teams. Cedric spoke first. "Is something the matter Madame?" h asked politely with a charming smile and a slight bow. Harry was impressed but he knew that good manners had no effect on his crude and immature aunt, that type of thing was better used on his mother.

Rolanda raised an eyebrow and began talking in a crisp voice that left no room for another speaker. "The headmaster became aware of your foolery and its violent nature. He has sent me down here to… referee and to make sure the match doesn't come to blows." The entire field of boys couldn't withhold smiles as they realized they wouldn't be getting in trouble and that they weren't being made to stop their game. "But if in the future you wish to partake in another match the staff would appreciate it if you would forewarn you head of house and wait for proper adult supervision. Nearly everyone in the castle who witnessed your 'game' thought you were involved in some sort of massive brawl."

The boys let out a short cheer before Seamus called. "We haven't got much time let's play." Which of course provoked another cheer.

Harry quickly and briefly waved to his brother before running back onto the impromptu field straight to Fred and George, he whispered a few words to them before running off into the heart of the game once again.

Nathan rolled his shoulders before taking out his wand and conjuring a comfortable black chair complete with arm rests. Rolanda followed suit and for the next hour they immersed themselves in the game, their conversation never going beyond Harry's impressive skills. When the game ended they walked back with the euphoric players who were already begging Madame Hooch to supervise the next game they wanted to hold the following weekend.

--



Once the door closed after Nathan left the room Albus sat down next to his wife on the couch. He put a arm around her shoulder and she turned towards him and snuggle into his embrace. She was emotionally and physically exhausted and Albus just looked so comfortable.

"Minerva, we need to talk." He said in a serious voice.

Minerva let out a long sigh and melted further into Albus's arms. "I know. Is there any hope that you'll let your poor tired wife rest before we start this conversation?" she asked with a tired smile.

Albus kissed her forehead and was tempted to give into her plea but he knew that if he out off this conversation once he would be tempted to put it off again and again until he no longer had the time to discuss it. "There is nothing I would like more than not to have this conversation but you and I both know that we must. The sooner we start it the sooner we can reach an agreement."

"Albus I know you feel the need to protect me but you can't protect me from this and locking me up in a gilded cage will do nothing but aggravate me." Minerva said with a repetitive nature that showed she had had this conversation before.

"I'll do anything to protect you and if it means aggravating you then so be it." Albus said in a firm voice.

Minerva jerked out of his embrace. "You can't lock me up. I'm not some animal for you to do with as you please. I am my own person." She said her voice as cold as ice.

Hurt flashed over Albus's face and Minerva had to squash her guilt. "Have I ever made you do something you didn't wish to? Have I ever even for a second treated you as anything other than my equal and the person I love unparallel to any other? If so tell me?" Albus retorted.

Minerva stood up her eyes burning with an emerald fire. "That's not what I said and kindly do not misrepresent my words as such again."

Albus too stood up and instead of giving in as Minerva was hoping he would at her show of force his conviction looked even stronger than before if the inferno in his eyes was anything to go by. "You are the reason I live, you are my everything. I will not risk you at all its possible to avoid doing so. In the matter of your health and safety I will remain stubborn. There is nothing in the world that could convince me otherwise."

"Is that your final say?" Minerva asked biting out each word.

"Yes!" Albus exclaimed fiercely his conviction never wavering. He would keep her safe at all costs. Every fiber of his being screamed at him continuously to always put his family first and to always protect his family. His emotions were going haywire right now because part of him screamed to protect her and to destroy who ever or whatever was threatening her, his love and the mother of his children, but then there was another part of him, his fatherly instincts, screaming to protect the child growing in her womb.



"I do not belong to you. And I will not make myself miserable so that you can have your 'everything' safe and locked up." Minerva said throwing his words back at him knowing she would regret it later. Before Albus could defend himself or even process what Minerva had said to him she turned on her heel and stormed out of the room.

He stared at the door she exited for a moment shaking in both fury and concern. Minerva was the only women who could evoke this type of an emotional mess in him. He let out an angry breath and turned and walked out of the room into his office. The slamming of the bookcase that was the hidden entrance to their room wasn't intentional but it did make him feel a whole lot better.

He stayed in his office for the rest of the night, not even bothering to go to dinner. It wasn't until he looked up from the stack of official documents and memo's that had been neglected that he noticed the sky was inky black.

"Shh! Do you know what will happen if we get caught? My mum hates to be woken up when she's sleeping." Harry said through gritted teeth. Fred and George may have been some of his best friends but if they got him in trouble with his mother he would super glue them to the ceiling of the great hall naked.

"Keep you knickers on"

"We're here." Fred and George said with matching grins.

"Just try and be careful." Harry said with a nervous look around. This was his first major prank and he didn't want to get caught just yet. "Do you remember the spell?"

"Yes!" they said cheerfully and loudly. Harry closed his eyes and counted to ten. It was a wonder they could do any successful pranks they were so loud. Every creak the castle made had him ready to run for his life.

"Good. Now in order for it to work we need to cast it at the same time on specified area." Harry said seriously. The twins' faces also became serious as they prepared to set their plan into motion.

"Have you decided on wedding dress or Speedo?" George asked.

Harry shook his head. "George there are some things no one should have to see and Snape in Speedo is one of them, I vote wedding dress." He said as he suppressed a shudder.

"I agree." Fred said.

"The majority has it. Wedding dress it is." Harry exclaimed happily.

"What about dressing him up as bat man?" a fourth voice asked casually.



Harry jumped and turned to start running but paused when he realized he recognized the voice. "Fred George come back! Its only Nathan." Harry yelled as quietly as he could before they got too far down the hall and out of hearing range. "Don't sneak up on me like that. My heart was in my throat." He said to his brother with a scowl.

Nathan tried to stop laughing so he could apologize but he couldn't. Fred and George walked back up to the two Dumbledore's smiling good naturedly at having been duped.

"So this is Nathan."

"The brother we hear so much about."

"All good things of course."

Nathan stopped laughing and stood up fully, he was at least three inches taller than the twins. "And you must be the Weasley twins whom I've heard so much about." He said with a charming grin. To the twins it didn't seem like he was only a year older than them. He acted and dressed more like someone their older brother Charlie's age.

"In the flesh." They said at the same time.

"Creepy." Nathan said as he looked at the twins critically. They were alike in every single aspect. Even their magical cores were the same. It was almost like they weren't brothers but clones.

"Does dad know you're here?" Harry asked not wanting his brother to get in trouble after just reconciling with the family. He had really missed him and he didn't want him to leave angry again and not come home for another couple of months.

"I told him but I'm not sure if he realized it." Nathan said lightly running a casual hand through his auburn hair. Harry looked at him silently telling him to elaborate. "He and mum got in a fight. He's kind of out of it."

"Mum and dad got in a fight?" Harry asked truly shocked. His parents never fought. He could honestly say that he had never seen his parents fight. Sure they had disagreements but it was never serious. "Like a fight for real?"

Nathan nodded seriously. "Yeah as in dads been sitting in his office for at least six hours and hasn't moved." His jaw twitched and harry immediately knew that Nathan was holding something back. It was his give. They had started playing poker about three years ago and Harry always knew when Nathan was lying. He usually never had to put his knowledge to use as they had promised to never to lie to each other. Even when Nathan had been estranged he hadn't lied, he didn't say anything but he hadn't lied.

"What else do you know?" Harry asked feeling slightly betrayed that he even had to ask that question.

"Nothing that I can talk about now, I'll tell you this weekend." Nathan said not bothering to hide the meaningful look he sent to Fred and George.



"So who's batman?" George asked to break the odd tension between the two brothers.

Nathan and Harry grinned simultaneously. "He's a muggle comic book character. He dresses in this tight black spandex outfit that supposed to look badass- sorry Harry but he looks like a dork- and wears a cape and a matching hat and mask."

Fred and George laughed out loud at the mental image Nathan had proved and immediately gave their approval to the suggestion.

"Okay I'll focus on the image and you two focus on location and intent." Harry said taking charge of their pranking operation.

"What are you planning on doing?" Nathan asked curiously.

"We're setting up wards on the archways to the great hall, Snape's class room, and a few other key locations so that every time Snape walks through the door he'll be spelled to look like batman. We're also erasing our magical signature so hopefully no one can connect us with the prank." Harry explained.

"How's the ward work?" Nathan asked having never heard of a ward that could be contained to such a small area and at the same time be focused on a single magical signature.

"It's an ancient Egyptian ward used for guarding dead pharaoh's tombs from grave robbers, its only drawback is it doesn't have the life expectancy the Egyptians were hoping for. It only lasts at the most three decades or so. Anyway its rune based. You need to draw the runes in a triangle covering the area you want warded. On rune for intent, one for effect, and one for location.

"Usually the ward makes it so that the person whose signature is tied to it is the only one who can pass through the ward but I tweaked it so that the opposite is true. Now it works kind of opposite. Whose ever magical signature it's tied to gets hit with the spells tied into the intent." Harry said struggling to explain what he just knew almost instinctually.

"Cor Harry I'm impressed." Nathan said to his brother his respect for the eleven year old rising. "Did you find it in Dads personal library?" he asked with a grin.

"Of course he always has the best obscure books hidden away in there." Harry said.

"I personally can't wait to see Snape's face."

"When he realizes that he's dressed up as a muggle character." The twins said. Nathan stared at them again before shaking his head and filing the anomaly that was his brothers friends away in the back of his mind.

The four boys grinned and if anyone had been there to see them they would have ran because those grins were far from innocent and they promised nothing but humiliation.



The clock in his office struck midnight startling him from the single imperfection on the face of his mighty desk he had been staring at for longer than he would like to admit. In his mind he was debating on whether or not he should venture to the bedroom he shared with his wife to sleep or if he should stay here and continue working.

If he went to his bedroom it would mean confronting his wife, which if she was still angry at him he didn't want to do. It was late and he did not want to get into another argument. But he did know that his wife always said she never slept when he was away and even though she was angry he knew she would still have a hard time sleeping and with her condition he didn't want her to do anything that might harm her or the baby.

On the other hand if he stayed in his office and finished paper work like he had been doing, or trying to do, all evening then he could successfully avoid the situation all together. He admitted to himself that either way there was the chance of impairing his wife's health, if she let her temper loose or if she lost sleep.

He also knew it was cowardly for him to avoid her. It was that notion that was eating away at him. He had never been seen as a coward and he didn't want to start now.

He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice the bookcase that hid their quarters open and his wife step into the room. She was wearing a thick wooly dressing gown that hung loosely on her and dragged behind her as she walked. Her hair was in a tangled mess and her eyes were red, whether from crying or from lack of sleep wasn't apparent.

She walked into the room and stopped three feet in front of her husband's desk. "Are you coming to bed?" she asked her voice soft and horse.

Albus's head jerked up and his eyes settled on his wife's figure which in his opinion had never looked more beautiful. "I wasn't sure if I'd be welcome."

Minerva stepped behind her husband's desk so that she was nearly touching the back of his chair. She unfolded her arms and rested them lightly on his shoulders. "I was angry but that doesn't mean I want you to isolate yourself in your office. I love you Albus and nothing on this earth or beyond it will ever change that." As she spoke she planted a feather light kiss on his pulse point on his neck.

Albus turned his head and looked up his wife feeling foolish for avoiding her. His eyes locked onto hers and the apology he had been wording in his mind died on his lips. Her eyes held no blame and there was no hint of anger in her body language.

"Come to bed I can't sleep if you're not holding me." Minerva said impishly with a slight smile gracing her face.

"Always." Albus said as he stood up feeling like the weight of the world had just slid of his shoulders. He gave her a tight hug, inhaling her scent as he took a deep breath. In his wife's arms life was good, it was the rest of the world that worried him.

Authors Note

Thank you all for waiting for my chapter. Its my longest yet but I'm not too sure if its any good. Review me and tell me what ou think even if its to tell me that it blows.

For everyone who reviewed me and offered their condolences thank you. Life sucks and it isn't fair but I guess I'll have to get over it.


	17. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER….. that doesn't stop me from wishing I did though. 

"How do you read that shyte?" Daphne said in honest curiosity staring at the giant book that Harry was bent over and completely absorbed in.

"With my eyes." Harry answered with a small smile not even looking up from _"Every Household charm ever in existence"_ by Rodric Sussex. Blaise smiled but he too didn't stop from writing his Charms essay.

"I'm serious Harry, I've looked through that book, and it's dryer than dirt not to mention completely useless, why bother?" Daphne asked again.

Harry sat up and took his eyes from the book. "I won't argue that it's dry and dead boring but it's not useless. I've found at least ten new and useful spells in here." Harry told her somewhat smugly before turning his eyes once more to the book.

"Like what?"Daphne demanded not for a second believing that any good could come from reading a dry, not to mention out of date, house hold charms book.

"A charm that shrinks clothing. I could randomly curse people's clothes to shrink until they ripped apart at the seams leaving them naked in a hall full of people." Harry said with a devious smile. "Or a seeking charm. It helps you find lost items. Imagine what I could find in a castle that has been standing for over a thousand years and has been home to hundreds of thousands of people. There's probably all sorts of crap around here. I even found an advanced summoning charm that will summon any item from up to three miles away. Can you not see the possibilities?" Harry asked somewhat excitedly.

Daphne blinked before sliding her chair closer to Harry so that she too could read the book. "Maybe the books not completely useless." She said haughtily but with a spark in her eye that said she was now most defiantly interested. She leaned forward and took control of the book as Harry sat back and watched. He tried to pay attention to what she was reading but he couldn't. All he was aware of was the close proximity of her body to his. She was close enough that he could smell her hair without looking like some kind of pervert. Wild flowers with a hint of strawberry invaded his senses leaving him dazed and unable to focus.

"Harry!" Daphne said in an irritated voice. "Stop day dreaming and look at this." She said while pointing to a spell with her index finger.

Harry blinked and quickly snapped himself out of his daze, glad that Daphne hadn't he was staring at her and not day dreaming. That would have been embarrassing. He looked determinedly at the spot where Daphne was pointing. It was a degreaser charm, originally meant for heavy duty cleaning but Harry could only think of one reason why Daphne would point this out. He had never admired her more than at this moment.

"Doesn't the name Snape just jump into your head when you read this?" She asked rhetorically. Snape may have been her head of house but that didn't deter her from enacting her revenge on him like three quarters of the school. She saw how his bias did more to hurt the Slytherin house in the long run that it did to help them. His blatant favoritism made the rest of Hogwarts students despise them and when they left school and entered the real world Slytherin students were in trouble. They had no one to bully them out of trouble and the rest of the working world still angry at them for the unfairness displayed in Hogwarts. Usually unless a Slytherin student didn't need to work because of a family fortune or they had a job provided by a family business or friend they had trouble finding good jobs. That's why so many Slytherin's fell into the world of debauchery in Nocturn Alley or some of the other unsavory places in the world. There was also the fact that he was a giant git who was mean and unfair to her best friend.

Harry's face broke into a huge smile. "Wicked" he breathed.

"Do you think Professor Snape can handle any more stress?" Blaise asked speaking for the first time in over two hours. Harry's smile dropped at the serious look in Blaise's silvery-blue eyes.

Harry hated to do it but he admitted to himself that the prank he and the twins had played on the potions master did have some repercussions. When they had planned the prank they hadn't accounted for the life span of the wards they had set up. It had been two weeks since they had set up the wards and still every time Snape walked through one of the many places they had warded there would be a puff of smoke then bam he was dressed as everyone's favorite super hero.

As a direct result of the prank Snape rarely ever went into the upper levels of the castle, Harry had even heard from Fred and George that they had seen him sneaking about the first floor and go into the kitchens because he refused to even enter the Great Hall. Once Harry and the Twins had heard this they had taken it upon themselves to leave transfigured batman action figures in places where Snape was most likely to find them. It was a common occurrence to see an enlarged batman action figure fling through the halls of Hogwarts due to a focused levitation charm. Harry's favorite part of this park was the fact that everyone seemed to want to contribute, especially the people whom Snape bullied.

It had gotten to the point where every night a new and comical poster or display would present itself. Muggleborns who were tired of Snapes tyranny taught their friends the batman song and it would be sung under their breaths during potions lessons. Snape of course took boat loads of points from whoever was caught or who eve he suspected doing it but it was well worth it to see his flushed face with bulging muscles at his temples.

There was a school wide pool of when Snape would crack, what he would do, and who he would attempt to kill. It was slightly forbidding that according to students the most probable course of action was Snape snapping in first year Gryffindor/Slytherin potions class then bludgeon Harry to death with Neville Longbottoms cauldron.

The down side of this nearly school wide conspiracy to drive Snape mad was that Harry, Fred and George were in detention ever single night of the week. Snape didn't even bother giving anyone else detention because as he told them nightly he knew they were behind the disgusting display of foolishness. That left no time for new pranks to be planned let alone planted but for now they were content with the one they had in progress.

"I don't know Daph I feel like I'd be doing the guy a favor." Harry said with a crooked grin. Daphne quickly smothered her laugh then promptly punched him in the arm.

"My names Daphne, not _Daph." _She said in her best superior voice. "Nick names are beneath one such as myself."

"But yet you're not above physical violence." Harry said with a cheeky grin as he rubbed his arm not completely in jest. Daphne's punches didn't really hurt but he was getting hit three or four times and hour because of his use of nick names.

"If it gets my point across." Daphne said with narrowed eyes.

Behind them Blaise closed his book with a snap bring them back into the real world. "It dinner time." He said as a way of explanation.

Harry jumped up from the table with nimble feet. "Good I'm starved." He said as he grabbed both his and Daphne's books. As soon as he had the books in hand he started walking towards the door and only stopped when he realized that Blaise and Daphne were still standing near the table. "Come on Blaisy boy. You may not have hurry but I share a table with Ron Weasley." He whined pathetically rubbing his stomach with his free arm for good measure. His antics earned him a sharp look from the librarian so he quickly stepped out into the hallway but not before sending them one last pathetic look.

Blaise winced at the mockery Harry made out of his once respectable name but kept his mouth shut as he walked towards Harry with Daphne. He knew from Daphne's experience that the more one complained the more often harry would use the nick name. He was hoping that if he kept his mouth shut harry would stop, somehow he doubted it, but hopefully he would be called 'Blaisy' less than Daphne was called Daph.

They exited the library and nearly walked right into an impatiently waiting Harry. "Do you want me to wither away Daphy dearest." He said with a pouting smile. He slid to the left just in time to dodge Daphne's flying fist. "That looked painful it almost makes me think you were trying to hurt me." Harry said questionably, his lips twitching as he withheld a smile.

That seemed to be the last straw for Daphne. She abandon all airs or appropriateness and charged towards harry like a lion stalking its prey. "Don't. Call. Me. That." She hissed menacingly and with each word she took another step forward until she had Harry backed up against the wall.

Harry smiled slightly. "How about if you can catch me, I'll stop but if you can't I have a free license to call you whatever I please." He suggested.

Daphne paused and assessed the situation. She was blocking Harry's only escape and the only way he could get past her was by doing so forcefully. In her mind she already won. She put on an innocent face and fluttered her eye lashes. "You wouldn't try and hurt me would you Harry?" she asked in her best 'I'm just a defenseless little girl' voice. Behind her Blaise bit down a smile knowing that little girl or not Daphne could beat the crap out of any guy in their year.

Harry's smile dropped and his face lost all its joking airs. "Do you really think I would hurt you?" he asked in a sad voice.

Daphne too dropped her joking façade when she saw how her question affected her friend. She didn't want him to think she didn't trust him. "No of course not, I was just fooling." She said.

"Good cause so was I" Harry said with laughter lacing his voice as he twisted to the right and sprinted down the hall his laughter echoing loudly. He was around the corner before Daphne had ever processed what had happened.

"What in the bloody hell just happened?" she asked Blaise.

"I believe you let Harry escape and now he has the right to call you whatever name he pleases." Blaise said in a chipper voice, slightly proud of the way his aloof friend had gotten the best of Daphne.

Daphne let out a scream of frustration and swore colorfully in several different languages before one of the nearby portraits reprimanded her.

"Let's go eat." She said dragging Blaise after her and she basically marched to dinner. As soon as they entered the Great Hall her eyes sought out Harry. He wasn't that hard to spot as he was the center of attention at the Gryffindor table. He was in the middle of a loud and apparently hilarious conversation with Fred, George, and Seamus. Most of the rest of the table was crowded around him listening to the story with rapt attention but Harry hardly paid them any mind he only had eyes for his friends.

Daphne walked automatically to the much more subdued Slytherin table, her eyes never leaving Harry's form. She watched as his face seemed to glow brighter and brighter and his smile got wider and wider as he talked to his enthusiastic friends. She sat down in her usual spot at the Slytherin table or she would have if there hadn't been a stack of books on her seat. Blaise grabbed her arm to keep her from falling and he helped steady her.

She sat down with scarlet cheeks as she noticed some of the older Slytherin's watching her judgmentally. She inspected the books and was only mildly surprised to find that they were her books. Harry must have left them there for her. She looked through each one to make sure everything was there, she could never tell with Harry. Once he had given her books back and her potions text had been missing. She had tried to use that as an excuse to get him to stop carrying her books but it hadn't worked. She didn't know why but whenever they were together he always insisted that he carry her books.

Upon closer inspection of her books she found a piece of parchment folded in the pages of her history text. She supposed it was folded in the shape of a flower but it was the ugliest flower she had ever seen. She unfolded the parchment to find Harry's neat script hastily dashed across the page.

'_I would really never hurt you'_

She was somewhat taken back but at the same time deeply touched. She had never for a minute believed that Harry would hurt her. In fact it was the exact opposite, despite herself she trusted Harry almost as much as she trusted Blaise and she had known Blaise since she was eight. Her eyes snapped up to the Gryffindor table and to her surprise Harry's green eyes were locked onto her grey. The world stopped for a minute and the sounds of the Great Hall faded into the background. That is at least until Harry smiled widely and waved excitedly.

Daphne rolled her eyes at her immature friend and started to load her dinner plate. Harry shrugged and went back to eating and talking with his friends. Daphne ate her meal with a smile tugging at her lips and a light heart. Blaise was just oblivious to the entire encounter as he was too focused on his meal. He may not act like it but he was an eleven year old boy and as such he too loved to eat.

"He's a right bastard."

"My arms are killing me" Fred and George grumbled as the twins and Harry walked through the halls of Hogwarts. It was two hours past curfew and Snape had just let them out of their nightly detention. It wasn't their fault that as soon as they'd walked into the classroom that a Batman action figure had flown in behind them. Snape had been furious to say the least. He'd kept them late out of spite. For the past four hours they'd been scrubbing cauldrons that looked to be as old as the school.

"Don't you two still have homework to do?" Harry asked. He was thankful that he could get through his homework so quickly and easily. The twins had yet to get to bed before two in the morning since they had started getting detention because they still had to complete their homework.

"One foot on the"

"Proper way to fend ff Boggarts."

"That's not that bad." Harry said. The twins shrugged simultaneously, something that still had him baffled as to how they choreographed their movements. He had asked them if they practiced doing everything the same or if they just did it naturally but they would only smile at him and leave him guessing.

They rounded the corner of the corridor only to stop in their tracks. At the other end of the short hall was Filch with his back turned to them. The trio knew that it didn't matter if they had a valid excuse or not, they would still get in trouble, and there was no way Snape would confirm their story because that would mean he would have to confess to keeping students out after curfew. Something that wasn't necessarily against the rules but it was frown upon none the less.

The twins and Harry shared a look before skirting back around the corner away from the foul caretaker.

"We can't afford any more detentions."

"We're barely getting by as is." The twins whispered.

"There's a hidden staircase that will take us to the second floor behind the statue of Goldtooth the Greedy by the Kitchens. From there we can just take the main stair case up to Gryffindor Tower." Harry said. He was never more thankful for his detailed knowledge of the castle because the twins didn't have the Marauders map on them. They hadn't wanted o risk Snape finding it and confiscating their greatest pranking tool.

The twins looked at him in amazement. "I was raised in this castle I probably know it better than anyone except the founders and my father." He said in a low voice with a shrug.

"He's like map."

"That walks and talks." The twins snickered as they each ruffled his permanently wild hair.

"Come on." Harry said with a good natured frown. "I want to get to bed before dawn, without another detention."

The trio quickly made their way away from Filch and toward through the secret passage to the second floor main stair case. "That was too close." Harry said as he swallowed a yawn.

"I agree." The twins said at once.

Harry stopped walking up the staircase and looked at them funnily. "How do you do that?" he asked curiously.

"That would be telling Harry-kins. "

"And a trickster never tells his secrets."

Harry would have retorted but before he could open his mouth the staircase they were on jerked and started to move to a new position. The sudden movement caused him to fall hitting his nose and mouth on the marble stairs. There was a flash of pain in his face then a rush of warmth. He knew his nose was broken and his lip was split he had experienced it enough to know what it felt like.

"Harry!"

"Are you ok?" the twins asked as they rolled him over and sat him up.

"I'b fine." Harry said irritably. "Bloody st'cse." He cursed as he stood up on his own. He held his nose to help staunch the blood flow and looked around. He didn't recognize where they were and his head was throbbing horribly.

"Harry your bleeding really bad."

"Maybe we should take you to Madame Pomphrey."

"BO! I'b be bine." He said quickly. He really hated the hospital wing. "Bust tabe me to ba dorm. I'b bee my mum ib ba morbing."

"Are you sure."

"We could take you there now?"

"I'b bine." He snapped. They didn't understand that he could under no circumstances worry his mother. His father had warned him and he never disobeyed his father when his father was this serious about something. Not to mention that he wouldn't do anything to jeopardize his mother's health.

The twins agreed but looked uneasy about the decision. As one they stepped off the stair case and wondered in to the lone corridor. It was covered in dust and looked as if it hadn't been cleaned in years. No matter how hard he tried Harry couldn't remember where he was. The Knowledge was on the very edge of his mind but he couldn't grasp it.

"Sniff them out my pretty." Said an echoing voice from down the dusty corridor. They froze for only a second before entering the first door they saw. They piled inside the room and watched with bated breath through the key hole, waiting for a sign that Filch had left.

A warm blast of stagnate air hit the boys backs causing them to freeze in terror. They heard something large shift behind them followed by the sound of a loud menacing growl. Harry was the first to turn and have his wand pointed at the three headed beast that was standing just behind them. Fred and George were only seconds slower. As one the trio screamed as they saw a giant three headed dog standing directly behind then with its teeth bared.

Without thinking of anything other than keeping their limbs and lives the trio ran from the room slamming the door shut behind them. They weren't even aware that they were screaming. They got about ten feet from the door when they ran into Filch who had been waiting for them.

"My my sneaking about in the forbidden corridor. It's to the heads office with you." Filch said nastily. No one tried to escape again or ever try to object, they were still too much in shock of what they had seen. The fact that they could have just been that hellhounds dinner was imprinted in their minds.

The trip to the headmasters office past in a blur to Harry whose head was now throbbing horribly. The twins were torn between shock and concern for their younger friend who was still bleeding from his nose and mouth.

Harry became aware of where they were when they stepped onto the moving spiral staircase that he had been on countless times before. This was not good. He knew that if his mum found out she'd go ballistic and that was the worst thing for her to do right now.

When he had gone home to see his 'aunt' he had spent most of the time with Nathan catching up on what they had missed. It had been then that Nathan had told him about his mother being pregnant. At first he had been really excited. He would finally get the chance to b the older brother instead of always being the youngest but then Nathan had explained to him about what had happened when mum had been pregnant with him and about how she had nearly died. That worried him, so he resolved to find out everything he could about being pregnant. It forced him to make trips to the library during meals times so no one would see him with the books.

Before Harry could properly they had reached the top of the stair case and Flitch was knocking on the door. It was all over now he knew his dad would answer the door as soon, he most likely still in his office finishing the paper work he had neglected all day long.

Sure enough his dad's voice called out. "Enter" and Filch pushed them into the threshold of the room. His dads office was the same as always, covered in knick knacks and odd silver instruments. There was a fire burning steadily in the hearth and his dad was sitting at his desk still dressed in his robes. He also had on the beard and old man façade that Harry was now familiar with. Harry watched his dads eyes widen as he took in his appearance. His face and the front of his robes were covered in blood along with his arm from where it had dripped down when he had been holding it to his nose.

"I caught these three sneaking about in the forbidden corridor headmaster sir." Filch said with a nasty smile. Harry didn't like the way his dad's eyes narrowed in on him. "If it would please your headship I could take care of the punishment. My thumb screws were just oiled this morning and they're ready to be used."

Albus held up his hand his eyes never leaving his son's face. "There is no need. I believe I can handle these three from here." Filch took the hint and left but he didn't look happy about it if the door slamming was any indication.

Albus stepped out from around his desk and withdrew his wand from its holster on his wrist with a flourish. The twins eyes widened in fear as he pointed his wand at Harry's face. With a sharp jab of his wand Harry's nose and mouth stopped bleeding and with another the blood was cleaned from his face.

Harry gingerly tweaked his nose and was relieved to find that it was only slightly sore. The throbbing in his head had even lessened. "Thank you." He said his voice once more sounding as it should.

"Please sit down boys." Albus said in an authoritative voice. He didn't know why his son and his son's two friends were in his office in the middle of the night but he wasn't pleased. Though if he was honest with himself he really wasn't that surprised. In fact he had been expecting them here.

The three boys sat down in front of the headmaster's desk each with their heads down. Albus took his seat behind his desk and resolved to handle this just like he would any other situation. The fact that it was his son would make no difference when he was handing out punishments.

"Would you care to tell me why you three were out of bed after hours, in the forbidden corridor of all places too, and why you were covered in blood?" he asked watching the boys intently making them squirm.

The twins shared a look then looked meaningfully at Harry, telling him that they had elected him to speak for them. "It's actually a long story." Harry stalled.

"I'm not in the least bit tired." Albus said with an indulgent smile that made Harry want to curse.

He huffed then started talking. "We had just been let out of detention and we were walking back to Gryffindor Tower when we saw Filch. It was after curfew and we didn't want to get another detention so I took Fred and George down to that statue of Goldtooth the Greedy near the kitchens. That took us to the second floor main staircase and we were on the stairs when the staircase we were on started to move. I lost my balance and hit my face on the marble, that's how I got covered in blood." He rambled hoping that if he told his father the truth they wouldn't get in too much trouble.

"The staircase brought us to the third floor corridor only I didn't recognize it on account of my head throbbing. Anyway nearly as soon as we got there we heard Filch speaking to his half crazed cat so we ran into the nearest room, only there was a giant three headed dog in there that looked like it wanted to eat us. We ran out, right into Filch and he brought us here." Harry said all in one breathe.

Albus looked at his son trying to detect if he was lying but could tell he was being honest. He rested his fingers under his chin and sat in thought for a few minutes before addressing the boys again. "I have a few questions if I may?" he asked but didn't wait for the boys to answer before continuing. "Why were you in detention and who was the teacher who kept you so late?" He was perplexed. When teachers gave students detention they were required to fill out a form saying why the student was given detention and what date or dates they were to be held, it all went into that students school records, but he had received no such message in regards to Harry, Fred, or George.

"We were in detention with Professor Snape." Harry answered. "Though I'm not sure of the official reason, he tells us it's because he knows we're behind the Batman pranks."

Albus's eyebrows rose. He had hoped that Severus wouldn't carry over his hatred for James to his son, but it looked like he had. His mind quickly came to another conclusion after looking at the sagging forms of the three boys and the bags under Fred and Georges eyes. "How often have you been in detention with Professor Snape?"

"Every night since the prank first happened, two weeks ago." Harry answered with a shrug, glad that his dad's attention wasn't solely focused on him any longer.

"Does anyone else know of these detentions?" Albus asked curious as why he had not been told.

"Gryffindor Tower, I guess, but I doubt anyone really pays to much attention to our comings and goings." Harry said, and then smothered a yawn.

"Maybe not ours."

"But definitely your."

"Our little starlet."

"Everyone knows that"

"Snape's had you in detention." Fred and George said much to Albus's amusement at his sons new nick name. It had to be karma for all the trouble he gave others with names. Harry scowled but wisely stayed quiet.

Albus's face became serious again. "I will personally have a talk with Professor Snape. As of right now you are excused from any detentions assigned by him unless you receive word from me. If he comes across proof that you three are behind this series of pranks then he will be able to give you as many detentions as are permitted." He warned them mildly. Fred, George and Harry broke into identically bright smiles at the news. "As for your offense tonight I'm assigning each of you one night's detention with Hagrid next Saturday." Albus said more to satisfy Filch then because the boys broke the rules.

"Speaking of our 'offenses'. " Harry said looking thunderstruck. "Why in the bloody hell is there a hellhound on the third floor?" Harry asked.

Albus gave his son a sharp look. "You weren't raised in the back alleys of Knockturn Alley, do not speak as if you were." He scolded. Harry nodded with blushing cheeks, while the twins bit the insides of their cheeks to stop from laughing. "To answer your question it was your Uncle Nicolas's idea." He said giving Harry a significant look.

"Why would Uncle Nick need… Ohhh." Harry said as the light bulb flashed on.

"Ohhh is right." Albus said imitating his son. "I would appreciate it if none of tonight's happenings went beyond the three of you."

The twins and Harry nodded earnestly. "Can I-?" Harry started but was cut off by his father.

"Yes you may explain the situation but that can wait until tomorrow after you have all had a good sleep." Albus said. He grabbed some parchment from a desk drawer, jotted down two quick notes and signed them with a flourish. "I am excusing you from your morning classes to give you time to catch up on sleep and to finish any pending assignments. I expect to see you at lunch and at your afternoon classes." He said as he handed the boys the notes.

"Wicked." The twins said as one.

"I trust you will be able to find your way back to Gryffindor Tower. "Albus said as he stood up. It was late now. He had got caught up in paper work before Argus had brought the boys in and he hadn't realized that Minerva was probably waiting in bed for him.

"Thank you." Harry said as he stood up and gave his father a hug, he tried to pull away quickly but Albus caught him and lifted him into the air.

"You're not getting to old to give you father a hug are you?" He teased as he watched his sons face turn red and the twin's chuckle appreciatively.

Harry looked at him defiantly. "Of course not dad, but your beard is itchy." He said much to Albus's shock and the twins delight. Harry wriggled out of his father's embrace and quickly stepped out of his father's reach.

"I'm cursed with cheeky son's" Albus muttered his eyes twinkling brightly. "Good night Harry." He said then moved forward and gave Harry as kiss on his forehead. "And good night to you Fred, George." He said with a smile that put the twins at ease.

"Good night dad." Harry said with a smile looking up at his father's tall figure through his bangs reminding Albus of the young boy that would run around their quarters naked to avoid getting dressed. Then when you caught him he would look up at you with those big green eyes and you would forget about telling him that he had just been bad.

"Good night Headmaster." The twins said as one.

Albus opened the door and let each of the boys pass by. He yawned slightly as he closed the door. He hadn't meant to stay up this late and he felt guilty that Minerva was waiting for him. As quickly as he could he organized his paper work and put the important documents under a strong security spell.

He walked through the door behind his bookcase and quickly crossed the drawing room to the hall where the master bedroom was. He rubbed his chin slightly to get rid of the tingly sensation that the vanishing of his beard always gave him. It wasn't uncomfortable but it wasn't something that one got used too.

He entered their bedroom and stood in the doorway a moment. Minerva was lying in the bed wearing only a pair of panties and a tight camisole reading a paperback book. She looked up from her book with lazy eyes and said. "I had thought you had forgotten about me."

"Never." Albus said as he pulled his robe over his head and threw it on the ground. His shoes had long ago been kicked off, they were somewhere in his office, so it was relatively easy for his to strip down naked.

He slipped on a pair of flannel plaid pajama pants and then crawled onto the bed. He moved so that he had one hand on each side of Minerva lithe form and he was hanging over her. "I'm sorry for loosing track of time." He said and each word was punctuated by a soft kiss to her lips. "How may I make it up to you?" he breathed into her ear.

Minerva's hand rose and stroked his cheek lovingly. "All I ask is that tonight you hold me and not let me go."

Albus laid himself down to the right of Minerva and gathered her into his arms. "That is something of a relief. I fear that I'm much too tired to do anything more exerting this evening."

Minerva settled into his arms and faced him with a coy smile. "Has the bureaucracy robbed you of your desire for me?"

"It is not possible to sedate my desire for you, but if there was ever a time when it was diminished it will not be because of so trivial a thing as bureaucracy." Albus said as he nuzzled his wife's neck and brought his hands to her stomach and rested them on the small bump that was slowly forming.

Minerva smiled and laced her fingers with Albus's with one hand and with the other she pulled the thick comforter over the both of them. It was November now and the castle was a bit drafty. "What did delay you from your paper work? I noticed you were nowhere to be found this afternoon when you were supposed to be overlooking the budget report for next terms potions supply."

Albus shifted somewhat uncomfortably. "I was going to explain this to you tomorrow but there is no time like the present. For the past few weeks I have been researching the improvements that muggles have made when it comes to delivering children." Minerva stiffened and turned in Albus's arms so that she could look him in the eye. "They have made amazing improvements and I had thought, hoped that you would come with me this weekend to have a specialist look over you." He said hurriedly.

"Albus!" she said.

"Please for my peace of mind!" Albus said cutting off his wife. "I would like to explore every possible option. And the doctor he's a second generation squib, he knows all about magic and our medical procedures, his son even graduated from Hogwarts three years ago. Please."

Minerva sighed. "Will this stop you from worrying?" she asked.

"No." Albus said bluntly. "But I will not rest easily until both you and all of our children are completely free from danger. You going would make me feel better though."

"I'll go." She said resignedly.

"Thank you." Albus said sleepily."I love you." He whispered into her thick hair. He snuggled down into the comfort of their bed was quickly seduced by sleep.

Minerva lay awake despite her repeated efforts to join her husband in the land of dreams. She too had a bad feeling about this pregnancy. Not that she didn't want to be pregnant because she loved each and every one of her children more than she could ever describe and it was something magical, no pun intended, to have her and Albus's love take the shape of a living breathing little life. That's why she had told Nathan that though she loved Albus more than she could ever describe, she loved her children more. Her children in a way were her and Albus's love.

She was worried of what would happen if she didn't survive child birth. It seemed arrogant to think or say but she knew that if she were to die then Albus would follow her. Then not only would her children be parentless but Hogwarts would be without a Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress. Not to mention what the wizarding world would do without their leader of the light and when Voldemort came back-. She stopped her train of thought she didn't want to think of that.

With a sigh she reached over to her night stand and grabbed the book she had been previously reading. If she wasn't going to get to sleep she may as well do something constructive. She had known she was pregnant for nearly three weeks and she still couldn't think of any good names.

"Fred, pass the eggs." Harry said to his friend as they ate breakfast in the Great Hall. Fred picked up the platter but before he could deliver it the double doors to the Hall slammed open, the sight that greeted them caused Fred to drop the plate with a clatter onto the table.

It was Snape but he was huge, at least fifteen feet tall. He reminded Harry of the mountain troll he'd seen on Halloween. "Potter, Weasley, Detention." Snape said in a deep booming voice.

The next thing Harry knew he was alone running down the halls of Hogwarts with a giant Snape chasing him. "Don't squash me." He called over his shoulder. A shadow fell over him and he looked up just in time to see Snape's giant foot hovering above him. He tried to move but he was too slow. Snape stepped down and he… woke up.

He sat straight up in bed and took a gasp of air. "Sweet Merlin it was a dream." He said to himself. His hair was damp with sweat. That was probably one of the weirdest but scariest dreams he'd ever had.

"Good morning Sleeping beauty." Fred said.

"Sweet dreams?" George supplied. They were sitting on Seamus's and looking at him curiously.

"What time is it?" Harry asked ignoring their question.

"Half past nine." George answered.

Harry groaned and lay back on his bed. "We have permission to sleep in all morning and you two come to my dorm at half past nine. Go back to sleep." He said as he buried his head under his red and gold blanket.

"Not until you tell us who your uncle Nick is."

"And why he would and to have a three headed dog in Hogwarts." The twins said.

Harry groaned and muttered a few select curses before he pushed the blanket back and sat up on his bed. "Is there anyone around that could hear us?" he asked.

"No we checked before we came in."

"And we cast silencing charms on the door."

"Not much but it's the."

"Best we could do." The twins said and Harry discovered that if you close your eyes while they were talking it was kind of like listening to one person.

"That should be fine." Harry said then yawned loudly. "What do you know of my dad's past?" Harry asked.

"He defeated Grindelwald."

"He's the only one you-know-who ever feared."

"He's supposed to be the most powerful wizard since Merlin."

"He likes candy?" the twins said searching for answers. The truth was no one really knew all that much about his father's past. He never told anyone anything and people just assumed things then told other people false things as fact. Harry had once read in a book, claiming to be historically accurate, that his father was one hundred and fifty-seven years old. It had killed his faith in books.

"When my dad got out of Hogwarts he was apprenticed to Nicolas Flamel." Harry said as if that should answer all their questions. The twins stared at him blankly. "Don't you two pay attention in History?" he asked rhetorically making the twins laugh at the absurdity of the question. "Nicolas Flamel was the only known creator of the Philosophers Stone. He and my Aunt Perenelle are over six hundred years old." Harry said bluntly enjoying the expressions of shock on their faces.

"Bloody hell!" they exclaimed as one. "That's old."

"Ancient really."

"But why is the stone here?" George asked curiously.

Harry shrugged. He was wondering that too. "I can only guess that someone is trying to steal it and Uncle Nick thought the threat was serious enough to ask my dad for help." The twins nodded accepting the answer. It really was the only probable theory.

"One of these days you're going to have to introduce us to your family." Fred told Harry seriously.

"I could ask if you could visit this summer, but there's sort of this thing that's happening and I'm not sure how it's going to go." Harry said blotching up his attempt to be sly.

"Smooth Harry." Fred snickered.

"What's going on?" George asked curiously.

"I'm not sure I should tell you?" Harry offered.

Fred rolled his eyes. "We know everything else, why not confide in us."

"It's better than bottling it all up inside." George added with a sage nod.

Harry sighed. The twins were somewhat right. He was going to go insane if he kept everything to himself and they already knew everything else about his family. "My mum's pregnant." Harry said in a low voice.

The twins smiled. "You see we're experts here."

"We have two younger siblings."

Harry didn't even crack a smile. "When my mum had Nathan she nearly died. Her medi-witch told her she couldn't have any more children." Harry said angrily with his arms crossed over his chest.

The twins smiles dropped and they were quiet for a moment. "If anyone can come out on op it'll be your mum."

"She is the most powerful witch of her generation."

"Plus she's Professor McGonagall she's nigh indestructible."

Harry shrugged not really convinced. It didn't matter what he said. He would be worried and scared until he knew she was going to be okay, but he did feel better having said something. He didn't know what he would do without his mum. Fred opened his mouth to say something else but Harry but him off. "I don't really want to talk about it. It's easier if I don't think about it." He said.

"Sure thing Starlet."

"Let's go somewhere fun."

"We still have two and a half hours before lunch."

"Sounds great." Harry said pushing his blanket off his legs and crawling out of bed. "Let's get dressed first though; I'm not sure anyone would appreciate it if we were running around in our pajamas."

"I knew we kept you around for a reason, Harry-kins."

"We need someone with some brains around here." The twins said as they too stood up from where they had been sitting.

"Meet me back here when you're done I have an idea of what we could do." Harry said to the twins sending his trunk a quick glance. There were still a lot of things he had packed that he hadn't put to use yet.

The twins agreed then left Harry alone in his dorm. Harry pulled out a uniform from his trunk and brought it to the bathroom where a nice hot shower was calling his name. He was useless in the mornings without a shower. It was like how his mum was never truly awake until she had her morning cup of tea.

He stood under the steaming hot water and allowed himself to think. It was something he'd had to be careful of recently because whenever he got too lost in thought he would wind up thinking about his mother. And if he thought about her, he would think of the new baby and of course the threat to her health. If it was just the fact that his mother was pregnant he'd be overjoyed. He'd always wanted to be an older brother, so that he could love and teach the new baby things like Nathan had with him. But his mother wasn't just having a baby, she was having a baby that could kill her and he was in no way, shape, or form ready to say goodbye to his mother.

His mother was the sticking charm that held their family together. He couldn't picture his father without his mother, the idea of one without the other seemed wrong and almost a crime against nature. His mum was also the one who was always there for the children. Not that their dad was absent but during the school year he worked really hard and was usually really busy. Their mum was normally always there for any problem big or small. Harry knew that when he or his siblings felt like they needed a hug, they could always go up to their mother and she would hold them for as long as they needed.

When he had found out he had felt so helpless. No matter what he did he couldn't help. No matter what he researched, no matter what he read, no matter what magic he learned, he couldn't help. He could only imagine what his father was feeling, a man who was praised daily for his genius.

He shook his head to clear his mind before he turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. He quickly died off his naked body and proceeded to go through his normal morning routine. Within ten minutes he was out of the bathroom fully dressed. The twins had yet to arrive so he opened his trunk and took out a few objects of interest that looked like they could spice up their afternoon.

Five minutes later the twins walked in the dorm fully dressed in their somewhat tattered Hogwarts robes. Harry didn't see them enter because the entire top half of his body was submerged in his junk section of his trunk.

"What's this?" Fred asked as he picked up Harry's skate board.

Harry pulled his head from the trunk and turned toward the twins. His dejected mood from earlier completely gone. His face was spit open in a smile as he answered the twins questioning glances. "That is a skateboard. You stand on it and move around, it's wicked. Those are called inline skates, and that is a scooter. They're all muggle things I play with. I had forgotten how much junk I had packed until I looked in here. I figured I could show you some of the more obscure muggle sports today." Harry said his smile never wavier as he pointed to each item.

The twins shared a look then looked to Harry and nodded. "Sounds fun." They said together.

"But won't we get in trouble." George said in a rare show of cautiousness.

Harry's smile got even wider. "I have never read a rule against skate boarding in the halls, have you?" he said almost bursting with glee.

The twins cracked wicked smiles. "Teach us oh wise master."

"Boy wonder on wheels." Fred snickered causing George and Harry to laugh loudly.

"Come on help me carry this stuff. There's a smooth floor down on the fourth floor near the West Tower and it's nearly always deserted." Harry said as he stood up and grabbed a pair of skates. He had two pairs of skates, two skateboards, one scooter, three helmets, and four pairs of knee pads. The twins each grabbed their choice of muggle technology and followed Harry down to the common room.

After ten minutes of shortcuts and twisting stair cases they arrived at a spot Harry had found years earlier. There was nothing special about this particular corridor compared to the rest of the school, except for the fact that the halls were at least twice, possibly three times as wide. Making the hall look more like a small ballroom then a corridor.

There was a staircase that led right into the largest opening of the corridor that to Harry were perfect for grinding down and on all the walls there was stone molding a foot off the ground, again perfect for grinding on. If Harry hadn't known any better he would have thought that the corridor had been altered just so he could skate here. As he thought that it struck him that it could have been. He would have to ask his father about it later.

Harry showed the twins how to lace up their skates, as that was what they had chosen, and gave them a quick lesson on how to put on the safety gear before demonstrating how the skates were used, before grabbing his helmet and strapping it on.

"Are you sure this is how it's supposed to work?" George asked as he wobbled for a few second before falling to the ground on his butt, or he would have if Fred hadn't already fallen. Fortunately for George he landed on his brother soften his landing. Fred didn't appreciate the gesture as much as George.

"Yes." Harry said as he picked up his beloved skateboard, his knee pads securely strapped on. "Just get your balance first then gently push off with each leg. It's really not that hard. I've been doing it since I was six."

George helped his twin up and they helped each other balance. Harry watched for a few more minutes before deeming them okay to continue without his guidance. He set his skateboard down and smoothly stepped on and gave a little push.

Fred and George watched as he easily maneuvered around the room. Their eyes nearly bugged out as he skated towards the wall, they called out thinking he was going to crash only to have their cries of protest die when they saw him jump up and slide roughly against the molding then jump down again all without falling.

"Pretty wicked, right?" Harry asked smiling at their shocked faces. He skated towards them easily bending and twisting so that he was soon zigzagging in between them.

"That was brill, Harry."

"How'd you do that thing, what's it called?"

"That is called a grind and it takes some practice but it's not as hard as it looks." Harry said smiling brightly; it felt good to be doing the things he loved again.

Slowly but steadily the twins got the hang of the inline skates until they were at the point where they were racing down the corridor to see who could make it to the far wall the fastest. It was uncoordinated and half the time they fell before either of them made it but they were laughing and having fun.

"Skating without me. Now that's cold, I think I'll have to go back to my room and cry to console myself." A very familiar voice said from on top of the staircase.

"Nate!" Harry said excitedly. "Your still here? I thought you left yesterday for Italy."

"Nope." Nathan said with a smile, he had his skate board over his shoulder and his knee pads were already on. "Dad offered to teach me what I missing so that I can stay home until spring. He wants me around to help around the house."

Fred and George slowly and awkwardly made their way over. "It's Nathan right?" George asked with a smile.

Nate nodded with a friendly smile. "Fred and George." He greeted them. "Showing them the wonders of what muggles have invented." He said to his little brother.

"Of course. I couldn't let my friends go through life without knowing." Harry said with a crooked grin. "How'd you know we were here?" he asked slightly confused.

"Dad told me." Nathan said simply as if that explained everything. It did or at least it did for Harry.

"How'd the headmaster know what we were doing?" Fred asked looking at his twin perplexed.

Harry and Nathan shrugged simultaneously reminding the twins of themselves. "One of the perks of the job I guess." Nathan said.

"Mystic headmasteric power." Harry said jokingly, making his brother and the twins laugh.

"Are you going to skate or stand there trying to look impressive?" Harry asked Nathan with smirk.

"I don't have to try to look impressive, I just am naturally." Nathan said with a superior look at the people standing below him. Harry laughed then he took one of the extra knee pads and chucked it good naturedly at his brother. "Actually I was going to go for IT. Want to join me? Or are you scared?"

"Scared? I think you're forgetting, I'm not afraid of anything." Harry shot back.

"You're 'going for' what?" George asked not liking the slightly insane look that was shinning identically in the brother's eyes.

Harry turned to them with a grin. "Nothing too dangerous. Just stay there and watch." He said before flipping his board into the air and catching it then running up the stairs with it under his arm.

He came to a halt next to his brother, standing a head shorter than him. "You want first dibs or do I get the honor?" he asked.

Nathan ruffled his brother's hair and pushed him to the side slightly. "I'm going first." He declared. "Fred, George stay clear of the railing and keep an eye out for flying boards." He warned the red heads. Fred and George shared a look and stepped back so that there was a wide berth between them and the foot of the stairs.

Nathan studied the railing of the stair for a minute before hopping on his board and skating back down the hall. Harry stood against the wall with his wand out just in case. He wasn't exactly sure what he could do with it that could help other than levitate Nate to the hospital wing but having it made him feel safer.

"Where's-" Fred start to ask wearily but stopped when he saw Nathan round the corner on his board and head right to the stairs. "Sweet Merlin" he whispered to himself as Nathan drew closer to the flight of stairs. He could only watch in shock as Nathan jumped up with his board so that it was doing the grindy this Harry had shown them earlier.

For a moment it looked as if Nathan would make it down the entire rail but three quarters of the way down his board wobbled and he was thrown off it. He landed hard on the last two stairs then rolled to a stop five feet from Fred and George.

"Ow." Nathan said with a moan of pain. "That is not pleasant."

"You okay Nate." Harry asked as his brother rolled onto his back. Nate grunted in response. The twins looked slightly horrified but amazed at the same time at the crash landing his brother had just had. It didn't really bother Harry too much. He didn't like to see his brother in pain but they were always getting hurt and he had seen much worse collisions than that. Nate would be okay once he caught his breath.

"Roll over. I don't want to hit you when I come down." Harry yelled down. Nate slowly stood up and walked over to stand next to the twins. Harry took a deep breath and slowly skated down the hall around the corner until he was far enough away that he could get a little momentum going before he tried to grind the staircase. He turned sharply. Scraping the back of his board against the hard stone floor, without pausing he pushed off the ground and started skating.

He held his breath as he saw the staircase, he briefly wondered if he was insane but quickly pushed that thought away. If he wasn't focused completely on what he was doing he was going to crash worse than Nate had. He positioned himself so that he was coming in perfectly on the railing and about a foot before he would have collided with the railing he jumped up and landed with the trucks grinding harshly against the ancient stone stairwell.

For a brief moment he thought that he would succeed where his brother had failed but those hopes were dashed when one of his front wheels hit the wall of the castle, halting his board and propelling him forward to the unforgiving floor. 'oh shit' he thought as he braced himself for the impact that he knew 

was coming. He hit the ground, hard. It was moments like these when he was grateful he wore a helmet that was charmed for extra cushion because otherwise he would have had a concussion with the way his head bounced on the floor.

He took a few deep breaths and pushed himself up off the floor. He dusted his pants off gingerly as he walked towards the twins. They were staring at him with an array of emotions in their eyes, ranging from horror to respect. "What do you think?" he asked with a grin.

"Personally we think you're insane," George said.

"But it was a wickedly awesome insane." Fred added as grins over took their faces.

Nate laughed before running up the stairs again two at a time. "I'm going to land it this time watch." He called after him merrily.

Minerva sat at her desk with her back perfectly poised as she watched her first year Transfiguration students pour into the room. She sent them a sharp look and they quieted down immediately. She kept her eye out for her son, he was usually one of the first students in the class, but the bell was due to ring in two minutes and he had yet to show up.

When her husband had told her of the late night meeting that had taken place she had been furious at her son for being out of bounds. That is until Albus had told her where her son and his consorts had been before they were in the halls. She was so angry that she had almost preformed accidental magic, something she hadn't done in fourteen years, since she was pregnant with Nathan. That bastard had the audacity to go behind her husband's back and give her son detention for something he couldn't prove he did. It didn't matter that Snape couldn't possible know that he was harassing her son, the hormones coursing through her body made it very difficult for her to think rationally, especially when her children were involved.

The door to the class room opened and Harry stepped in quickly. He looked hastily dressed and his hair was a mess but he had made it before the bell rang. He quietly sat next to Seamus and put his bag under his desk and took out his wand.

"Where've you been, mate?" Seamus asked none too quietly.

"I'll explain later." Harry said out of the corner of his mouth as he took out a quill and a roll of parchment for notes.

"You wouldn't believe what happened this morning." Seamus said excitedly bouncing slightly in his chair. Without waiting for Harry to ask he told him and the rest of the class who were listening what happened this morning. "I was walking over to wake you up because you were almost late for breakfast and before I could even touch your bed there's this ball of fire right in front of me. Nearly scared me to death, for a minute I thought your bed had caught fire, then out of the flames flies this bird with a note in his talon. Bloody thing was the Headmaster's Phoenix telling me that you were excused from morning lessons." Seamus said causing Harry to smile sheepishly. He had wondered why he hadn't been woken up. "Next time warn someone, my heart was nigh in me chest."

"Sure, next time I'll wake you up at two o'clock so that I can tell you not to wake me up in the morning." Harry said with a completely straight face, not even a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"You could try and wake me up but I'll sleep through anything, write a note." Seamus suggested with a friendly smile, well aware of his friends dry sense of humor.

The bell rang and the classroom door shut with a snap. All the students stopped talking and their eyes snapped towards Professor McGonagall who rose swiftly from her chair. "Good afternoon class. Take out parchment and a quill, we shall be taking notes for the first half of today's lesson on mineral to mineral transfiguration." Minerva said in her no nonsense teacher voice.

Harry took detailed notes even though he was sure he would never need to look at this material again. It was all so basic. Yes he knew that transfiguration was easiest when you were trying to transfiguring one thing to something made of the same mineral foundation and yes he knew that transfiguring something really small into something really big would be difficult. It was all common sense.

Instead of really paying any attention to his mother's lesson he paid attention to his mother. Since the school year had started he had learned to look beyond the mask his mother wore and he could see the woman he knew her to be. As he studied her all he could see was an overwhelming tiredness. She looked exhausted. There were bags under her eyes, her robes were slightly wrinkled, and her eyes were drooping in class. She was also snapping at the student s more than usual. Most students didn't think much about it, contributing it to her strictness, but Harry knew that his mother could be cranky when she was tired.

Class time passed by quickly and there was a rush to get out of the class room. "Come on Harry." Seamus said as he nudged Harry's elbow.

"Go on ahead I want to ask Professor McGonagall a question." Harry said to his friend.

"Alright, I'll wait outside." Seamus offered.

"I might be a while. I'll meet you in the common room." Harry said brushing aside his friends offer. He really liked Seamus, but he loved his mother and he wanted to see how she was doing.

"Okay, I'll see you there, if not I'll see you at dinner." Seamus said getting the hint. Seamus left the room with hurried steps as he tried to catch up with the other Gryffindor first years.

Once he was out of the door, Minerva waved her wand and it shut and locked itself. "Hello Harry, come give me a hug." She said in greeting to her son.

Harry stood up and crossed the room to where his mother was leaning against the front of her desk. He hugged her cautiously not really sure if he could hurt the baby, but worried all the same. "I'm not made of glass Harry." His mother said laughingly into his hair. He grinned slightly and squeezed his mother as tightly as he could.

"Hi mum." He said as he looked up at her from their embrace with a big smile.

"Hello Harry." She said easily. She kissed his forehead before ending the hug. "Let's sit in my office." She said. "It's more private."

Harry silently agreed then followed her though a door that leads to her office. This door way was much like the one that led to their private quarters in the headmaster office. You didn't notice anything but when you stepped through the door you were transported up several floors to the office that was in their quarters.

They sat down in straight backed chairs with a majestic looking chess board between them. Automatically Harry moved his pawn to start the game. Whenever they talked they always played chess and they usually drank hot chocolate.

Minerva waved her wand and two mugs appeared on a nearby table. Harry grabbed one and took a slow sip. "It's perfect." He said with a smile.

"Were you expecting anything less?" Minerva as she too took her first move.

Harry frowned slightly. "Are you okay mum?" he asked with naivety lacing his words.

"Of course darling. What made you think I wasn't?" Minerva said watching as her son made his second move, foolishly leaving his rook unguarded.

"You look tired and I've been worried ever since Nate told me about the baby." Harry said fingering a loose thread of his robes nervously.

"I am perfectly okay. Nothing is wrong with me or the baby." She said with more confidence than she felt. She took her turn deliberately avoiding taking her son's rook and leaving him an opening to her knight if he could set up the next few moves correctly.

"That's not what Nate said. He told me that when you had him you nearly died." He said his voice getting progressively lower until he whispered the word 'died'. Minerva as silent. She didn't want to confirm her son's fears but she also knew she couldn't lie to him. "You're not going to die are you, mum?" Harry asked in a shaky voice, not even pretending to pay attention to the game any longer. His attention was solely focused on his mother now.

Minerva opened her mouth to tell him to stop being foolish but the words died in her throat when she met her son's pleading eyes. It would be so easy to lie to her son to put him at ease, but she couldn't she promised herself and her husband that she would never lie to her children.

Harry's heart stopped when he saw his mother hesitate. It was never a good thing when his mother hesitated. Like the time his crup had gone missing in the forest near McGonagall manor and he asked if he could ever see Kenzy again. But this was much more serious than a missing crup, this was his mother's life.

"Your father and I are doing everything in our capacity to make sure that I come through this pregnancy with my heath intact." Minerva said after a moment of thought. Harry's lower lip quivered as he tried to hold back his emotions. Minerva saw her son's expression and felt the sadness and despair roll off him. She motioned for him to come to her and he did so immediately, he didn't even notice that his mother expanded her chair so that it would seat them both comfortably.

He settled on his mother's lap holding her around the middle as tightly as he could. He didn't cry but he did sniffle a few times. "I don't want you to die." He moaned pathetically squeezing his mother even tighter.

"Shh." Minerva hushed him stroking his hair gently. "I'm not going anywhere soon, not if I or anyone else can help it. There's no need for you to worry darling."

"Promise?" Harry asked with his head buried in his mothers robes.

"I promise that I will do everything in my power to always be here for you." Minerva said choosing her words carefully.

It wasn't what Harry wanted but even he realized that it was the most he could ask for. Anything else wouldn't be possible for his mother to promise. "Good." Harry said. He stayed there in his mother's arms squeezing her until his arms got tired but even then he only loosened his grip. It was fifteen minutes later that he realized his mother was humming a lullaby and another five before he realized that there was a small bump on his mother's stomach. He sat up quickly startling his mother. "Is that the… the baby?" He asked as he hesitantly put his hands on her stomach.

Minerva smothered her laughter and smiled. "Yes that's the baby."

Harry kept his hands on her stomach and laid back down on her careful to not lay on his growing younger sibling. "How old is it?" He asked completely fascinated.

"Just over two months old." Minerva answered as she began stroking her sons hair again.

"How long until it's born?" Harry asked curiously.

"Madame Pomphrey said early April." Minerva answered. Happy that her son was taking this so well. She had been worried that Harry would be jealous of having another baby around, Merlin Knew the twins hated Nathan when he was first born.

"I'm going to be the best big brother, like Nate is to me." Harry declared and Minerva had no doubt that he wouldn't be.

"You know I love you Harry, and having another baby won't change that not even for a moment." Minerva said gently.

"I know that." Harry said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world and to him it was.

Authors note:

Phew! That's my longest chapter yet, I'm looking forward to my reviews.

Sorry this took so long but as you can see is twice as long as my normal chapters so I think I'm entitled to a little bit of extra time. As for my next chapter I'm hoping to be done soon.

I don't know if you'll care but I figured I'd tell you anyway. I got my first job about five weeks ago. Its torture. My family owns an electrical business down the shore so every weekend I drive up there with my brand spanking new driver's license and work for my uncle. I'm getting eight dollars an hour with unlimited over time. He tells me I can work as little or as much as I like. Needles to say I work nearly continuously then catching up on sleep during school on Monday, I never learn anything in school anyway and someone needs to pay for all the books I buy.

Also on my home front, schools almost out for summer, I have seven more days, five of which are filled with final exams then that's it's. And by it I mean IT. I'm only a junior this year but I said fuck high school, yea it's great that I can catch up on my movies in class, I don't do anything other than watch movies on my iphone (Its been the first season of the Soprano's this week), but I'm bored. So I talked to my guidance councilor and I'm out. I start college this summer on June 30th. All I have to do is take an English and P.E. class because you need four years of each and I'm done with my high school education. I'm very excited. I've had some very eventful weeks.

As always please review and tell me what you think. Ohh and I got an anonymous review asking if I was going to continue this story and my obvious answer is yes. I would go crazy if I didn't continue this fic, I get ideas in my head and if I don't write them down they drive me mad.


	18. Chapter 16

Albus sat at his desk trying to compose himself for the confrontation he knew was walking towards his office. He clenched his fists a few times to get rid of some of the anger that was boiling just below the surface of his calm facade. He had gone about the school today and discreetly asked some of the upper year students what they knew of the detentions that Harry, Fred, and George had been subjected to, it made his blood boil that most of the students had known about the string of detentions, but none of them had ever thought to inform an adult about the predicament. Either Severus had done something like this before or the children had never thought that he couldn't do something like this.

The Gryffindor upper years had told him that they would see the three boys enter the common room late, usually after curfew. They then told him about how when the detentions first started Harry would always offer to try and help the twins with their homework but they never accepted his help and always made sure Harry was in bed as early as possible. Albus knew that he would be pulling the twins aside to thank them for their protection of his son.

He had sent an owl to Professor Snape telling him that he expected him in his office at eight o' clock. If Severus was wise he would have picked up on the angry tone of the letter. His wards alerted him to someone speaking the password to the gargoyle that guarded the main entrance to his office. He folded his hands on top of his desk and tried to calm his frayed nerves.

"Enter." He called out a note of sharpness in his voice that he was unable to mask.

The door opened slowly and Severus Snape walked swiftly into the room, his robes swaying somewhat limply behind him. "Headmaster." Severus began smoothly. "I have something of the upmost importance waiting for me. If we could reschedule this meeting to later date, I would be much obliged."

"Sit down Severus. We shall be discussing things of the upmost importance tonight." Albus said calmly but the fire in his eyes betrayed him and Snape knew would not be leaving the office happy. Snape's face could have been carved out of stone for all the emotion he showed as he sat down and stared blankly at his employer.

The two sat in silence for a few moments before Snape broke down and spoke. "What is it you wished to speak about sir?" he asked in a voice that could be called polite.

Albus stared at him for a few more moments making the dour man shift uncomfortably. "Did you think I would not find out Severus?" he asked his cold gaze focused on his most difficult professor.

"I really have no idea-" Snape said with raised eyebrows before Albus cut him off.

"Do not insult my intelligence with needless lies, Severus. I have played this game for far longer than you and no matter what skills you think you may have I will win." Albus said in a raised voice taking Snape by surprise at the amount of anger in his voice and the venom I his words. "I am talking about the unauthorized detentions you gave to Messer's Fred and George Weasley and Harry Potter."

Snape snarled at the mention of Harry Potter and jumped up from his seat. "Of course this is about precious Potter, the Gryffindor Golden Boy, the boy-who-lived. What did the little rat bastard come 

running up here with his tail between his legs because he had to work for once in his life? The spoiled brat doesn't know the first thing about...about anything." Snape ranted astonishing Albus. He had no idea that Severus's hatred for James ran deep enough for him to take it out on his on like this.

"This is not just about Harry Potter Severus. This is about the fact that you have broken the rules of this school knowingly. You abused your power over children to take revenge on a man who has been dead for ten years. This is about how Argus found these same children going back to their common room after midnight. This is about how the entire Gryffindor Tower agreed with the fact that they hadn't been in before midnight in over two weeks. This is about how you are torturing three students for something they may or may not have done." Albus said trying to drill the fact that this wasn't just about his son into his head. Yes that was apart of it, but the larger part of this whole ordeal was Severus's abuse of power.

"I did nothing wrong. Fred and George Weasley have been breaking the rules since they entered this school. A detention will do them some good. As for Harry Potter" Snape said spitting out Harry's name. "I see how arrogant he is. The pampered prince of Gryffindor tower. He's just like his father thinking that he's better than everyone else because of a scar on his forehead. He's a useless child who will become an even more useless man. A burden on society. He-"

"ENOUGH." Albus shouted in a booming voice that shook the room. "That is quite enough." He repeated more quietly and more calmly. Snape stood rooted to the floor staring wearily at Albus, looking like he was ready to run at any sign of danger. It was a rare thing for Severus to see Albus angry, he had seen him furious once and he never wanted to see anything remotely like that again. "You are not to give those boys another detention unless you have undeniable fact that they are worthy of the punishment. If they do deserve the punishment I shall decide with who, when and how long their detentions shall be. Do you understand?" Albus said in a dangerously calm voice.

"Yes, sir." Snape said through gritted teeth. He turned with a flourish and quickly crossed the room and opened the door. Albus face lost all its anger and emotional exhaustion set in. He really shouldn't have lost his temper with his potions professor and he was ashamed of himself for doing so. He should have never let his personal problems interfere with his work.

"Severus!" Albus called before the dour man could step through the door completely. Snape halted but did not turn around. "I am sorry for... losing my temper." Albus said. There was silence for a moment before Snape left the room without uttering another word.

Albus sighed and banged his head on his desk a few times. "Bugger." he said to himself.

"Don't be so harsh on yourself lad." Armando Dippet said from his portrait. "You did only what you had too."



"I just hope he doesn't see this as a betrayal. Knowing Severus as I do, it will seem to him that I was choosing Harry over him. It will not matter that he was the one breaking a thousand years of school policy." Albus said sorrowfully.

"You can't force him to see something he willingly chooses to ignore." Armando said wisely.

"I suppose." Albus said. He took one last deep breath before standing up from his chair and walking to his quarters. He had no pending paperwork to fill out and he had already been to the ministry twice today, so that gave him an evening free from work.

While going over several of his recent conversations with Nathan he had noticed several incidents or several statements that had alarmed him somewhat. Nathan would say or do something out of character or unusually mature, that made him wonder just what his son had been doing in Italy. Then when he had thought about it and he realized that Nathan had never talked much about his social life in Italy only about his studies, which made him even more curious.

He entered his quarters and was met with the sound of loud laughter. His wife was sprawled haphazardly on the love seat and her best friend Rolanda Hooch was rolling around on the floor. "Good afternoon." he said somewhat tentatively. His wife was usually the one who kept him in line but when she was around Rolanda he became scared. She seemed to lose all sense of duty or decorum and went wild.

The two women looked up at him then only laughed harder. It was a sign he was sure, that he didn't want to know what they were talking about. "Have either of you seen Nathan?" He asked wanting to leave the room as quickly as possible. Rolanda pointed blindly to where the kitchen was.

"Thank you." he said before he fled the room. He entered the kitchen in record time and was relieved to see his son sitting on the counter eating a bowl of ice cream.

"They chase you away too." Nathan asked casually as he swallowed a spoonful of ice cream.

"No, I ran away." Albus said causing Nathan to laugh, and then choked slightly on his ice cream. Albus banged him on the back a couple of times to make sure his son didn't die from an ice cream induced death. "Alright?" He asked.

"Yes, thank you." Nathan said as he repositioned himself on the counter and wiped the tears from his eyes.

Albus walked to the cupboard and pulled out his favorite flavors of ice cream, strawberry madness, peanut butter bonanza, chocolate, and cotton candy. He felt Nathans eyes on him as he started making himself a sundae. "How was your day?" he asked.



"Fun, I went to Diagon Alley to pick up a few things, I needed a new book and mum found my stash of candy." Nathan said after swallowing some ice cream.

"Did you get any fudge squares?" Albus asked with a grin.

"Two boxes. Yours are in Evans room under his pillow." Albus raised his eyebrow at his son's odd choice of storage. "Mum had already searched there; she went on a sugar rampage today. Why do you think there are three cakes currently being baked? She's gone mad!"

"Not mad just pregnant and I doubt your aunt is helping. Her sweet tooth is nearly as large as mine." Albus said as he dumped a few cherries on his sundae. "Perfect!" he said.

"Nice work." Nathan said as he appraised his father's sundae with a critical eye. "I can never get just the right amount of peanut butter sauce. I either add too much, over powering the chocolate sauce or don't add enough." Nathan said with a sad shake of his head, being completely serious. They took food and its creation very seriously in their family.

Albus crosses the kitchen and propped himself up so that he was sitting on the counter beside his son. "It will come with time son." he said giving Nathan a reassuring pat on the shoulder. Nathan only nodded his acceptance before taking another bite of his ice cream.

"How was the ministry, mum told me you got called away at lunch?" Nathan asked.

"Boring. The new minister, minister Fudge, didn't know the correct procedure for appointing a new Wizengamot member. He called me and I had to explain to him that the seat is hereditary and that as minister he has nearly no power over the Wizengamot." Albus said disdainfully. The new minister had been calling him daily looking for advice; it was starting grate on his nerves that the man seemed incapable of thinking for himself.

Nathan snorted. "He's an idiot, then. We learn about the Wizengamot proceedings in second year history."

"You words not mine." Albus said with a small grin. The two sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes before Nathan spoke again.

"Tomorrow I think I'm going to muggle London. I need some new clothes." he said.

Albus understood the unasked question. "You can take money from your trust at Gringotts just don't go crazy."

"Thanks." Nathan said.



"I actually came in here to ask you a question that has been bothering me for some time." Albus breached slowly. Nathan nodded for his father to continue. "What did you do in Italy when you weren't in lessons?" He asked.

Nathan shrugged. "Nothing much. I hung out in the muggle world with some friends." Nathan said vaguely.

Albus frowned slightly at the evasive answer and decided to be blunt. "Are you sexually active?"

Nathan stopped mid bite. "What?" he asked somewhat incredulously.

"Are you sexually active?" Albus repeated.

"I heard what you said but what gave you that idea?" Nathan asked with a slight blush on his cheeks.

"The way you say certain things, and the altercation you had with your Aunt Rolanda when I asked you to watch your brothers' football game." Albus said. Nathan stayed quiet and took another bite of his ice cream. "You haven't answered my question."

"Currently no I'm not 'sexually active', I'm eating ice cream." Nathan answered sarcastically. Albus looked at his son sternly. "Fine I'm a virgin, if you're so interested." Nathan said as he jumped off the counter. Albus followed suit and placed his ice cream down.

"There are other forms of sex. We had this talk once if you'd like I could refresh your memory." Albus said.

Nathan crossed his arms and looked unimpressed with his father's threat of another sexual education talk. "What is it exactly you want to know?" Nathan asked challengingly.

"I don't want any details I just want to make sure you know what you're doing. I know that the world is different from when I was a teenager and that certain things are accepted-"

"I'm not gay if that's what you're asking." Nathan said.

"Homosexual or not I do not care, but what I do care about is that you are taking all the proper precaution. Nothing is without consequence, be it emotional or physical." Albus told his son.

"Ohh please, I read your journal for Merlin's sake, you were no saint. You must have had 'sexual activity' with at least a half dozen girls when you were seventeen." Nathan burst out somewhat angrily.

"First of all I was a seventeen an adult, something which you are not. You are fourteen and still a minor. Secondly how do you think I felt about those altercations when I met your mother? I 

can tell you now I felt horrible and disgusting." Albus said somewhat heatedly. He was usually so calm when dealing with his children but lately Nathan had been able to hit all the right cords to make him angry. He took a deep breath, something he'd been doing a lot of lately and spoke more gently. "I can't make you do anything and I can't stop you from doing anything. You are your own person and you will make your own choices. I only want you to learn from my mistakes and think of the consequence before you take any rash action."

Nathan calmed down a bit after his father's little speech. "I promise I won't do anything rashly, can we please change the subject?" he asked hastily.

"Not quite yet. Before you engage in any of this 'activity' I want you to read a book that every boy should read." Albus said.

"What book?" Nathan asked. He really didn't want to talk about this anymore.

"A book on contraceptive. Don't give me that look. It's a very important part of being sexually active. When you've finished it we will have another conversation on the text of the book." Albus said leaving no room for compromise

"Fine. Now can we please change the subject?" he practically begged.

"Of course." Albus said cheerily picking up his ice cream once again. Nathan waved his wand and his empty bowl flew into the sink.

"What are we doing for the twins birthday? November 31, is in two weeks and I still don't know what to give them." Nathan said.

"It lands on a Thursday so we'll celebrate on Friday evening, as for presents I'm still deciding too." Albus replied somewhat guiltily. In all the stress he'd been under lately he hadn't really thought about what to get his oldest children for their birthday. He had an idea but he still needed to run it by his wife to get her approval.

"I have an idea for Evan. I was thinking of getting him a hoard of muggle athletic equipment and accessories for his quidditch practices. They have some really wicked things that I've yet to see in the magical world, but I'm at a loss for what to give Lizzy. She's so difficult to shop for." Nathan said. Albus thought the idea for Evan was a good one and told him so. He also agreed with Nathan about Lizzy but he didn't vocalize it.

"Why don't you get her one of those computers you were showing me? This way she could keep track of her studies while keeping in touch with the muggle world. She'd like that." Albus suggested.



"That's an idea. I can pick up hers and Evans presents tomorrow after I buy some new clothes. Brilliant." Nathan said feeling relived that he didn't have to worry about gifts anymore. "Thanks dad." They were silent for a few minutes as Albus finished his ice cream.

"What was it you were thinking of giving them?" Nathan asked curiously.

"It's actually rather large and I'm not sure if I should. I was going to speak with your mother about it." Albus answered. Nathan gave his dad puppy dog eyes and jutted out his bottom lip. He didn't even have to say any words before Albus caved. "I had the idea that since they were living on their own and venturing into their lives that I would give them both a company from the family holdings. It would provide them with a source of income for as long as they needed and it would give Evan a taste of what he would be responsible for once he becomes head of the family."

Nathan blinked at the enormity of his father's present. "That's a rather good idea. Teaching them responsibility while giving them the extra cash they need to live comfortably without coming to you or mum every week for money. I think it's a great idea."

"Now all I need is your mother's approval but she shouldn't be hard to convince. It's not as if I'm doing something silly, this should actually help them in the long run." Albus said finding his idea more and more attractive.

"Is the cake ready yet?" Rolanda asked lightly, the smile that had been on her face all afternoon remaining the same.

"Ten more minutes." Minerva said with a lazy wave of her hand.

"Damn, I'm starving." Rolanda said with a slight whine in her voice.

"You sound like my children." Minerva said with an unladylike snort.

Instead of the glaring response or the pillow being thrown like she had expected, Rolanda became quiet. "Did you ever in your wildest dreams think that when we were in school that we would wind up like this? You the Deputy Headmistress of the most prestigious school in the world secretly married to the most powerful man in the world, and me an ex-quidditch star still bonking my way through life." She asked seriously.

Minerva took her time in answering her friend's question. "Before I first saw Albus no. I always thought I would get married in a posh ceremony to some wealthy pureblood scion of my parents choosing. I thought that I would work in a ministry office for some years before retiring to have children. It was rather bleak; I never thought I would run off, disobeying my parents. I 

always hoped you would settle down eventually, but never really put much faith in it. I knew even then that you were too much of a… free spirit to be tied down in something as permanent as marriage."

Rolanda thought about her friends answer before looking to Minerva with a grin. "What was the first thought that went through your mind when you saw Alby?" She asked curiously. She had been friends with Minerva for more than fifty years and she had never asked. Usually when they talked it was about her latest escapade or her niece and nephews.

Minerva's cheeks turned slightly red and shook her head. "I'm abstaining from answering that question."

Rolanda face was one of outrage. "No way, you owe me. I tell you everything."

"You wouldn't understand." Minerva said hoping her friend would drop the subject but knowing that if anything Rolanda was persistent.

"Tell me!" Rolanda demanded with her hawk like eyes pleading.

"Fine!" Minerva huffed. "What went through my mind when I first saw Albus?" she mused. "My mind went completely blank. I forgot about school, expectations, even you. All that I knew was that I wanted him." She answered.

Rolanda laughed out loud. "And I always thought you were so innocent in Hogwarts." She cackled.

"What?" Minerva said. "Not like that you pervert." She said as she threw a pillow at the still chortling Rolanda.

"Then what exactly does 'I wanted him' mean if you're not using it in a sexual way?" Rolanda asked enjoying the splash of color on her friends cheeks. It didn't matter how many times she asked her friend or begged for details, Minerva refused to talk about her sex life. Which was the complete opposite of Rolanda who told Minerva every detail welcomed or not.

"I wanted to be with him." Minerva said simply not knowing how to express her feelings in words.

"No that doesn't sound sexual either." Rolanda said with a snort. Minerva had no more pillows near her so she picked up a chocolate frog and chucked it at her friend. Rolanda snatched it out of the air and quickly popped it in her mouth. "Thanks." She said through a mouthful of chocolate.

The door from the kitchen opened and Albus stepped out with two pieces of banana cake.



"Brilliant, we're getting delivery service." Rolanda said. She sat up on the couch and eagerly watched as Albus stepped towards her with the cake.

Albus held out a piece of cake for her and years of experience kept him from flinching when she snatched it away quicker than a starving dog would a steak.

"Did you find Nathan?" Minerva asked as Albus sat next to her in the love seat. He handed her the piece of cake before answering. "Thank you." She said accepting the cake more mannerly than Rolanda had.

"Yes I did, we had a… interesting conversation." Albus said. "I don't mean to intrude upon your conversation but I wanted to know if you had a problem with me taking Nathan out tonight."

"Where are you going? I thought he was going to ask if he could go to London tomorrow." Minerva said.

"I'm not entirely sure where we'll go, I just thought it would be nice to spend some father son time together. We might go to a football game; I think Harry mentioned that Manchester United was playing." Albus said with a small shrug.

"That sounds like a fine idea; you two haven't gone anywhere since he's been back. Go have fun, I'm fine here with Rolanda." Minerva said.

Rolanda of course couldn't resist putting her two sense in. "That's so sweet he's asking permission." She said eliciting a small glare from Albus but he for the most part ignored her. He was used to her comments after hearing them for over fifty years.

"I'll see you tonight dear." Albus said. He kissed her gently on the lips before standing and leaving the room once more.

It was late when Albus and Nathan returned to Hogwarts, nearly midnight. They flooed into the headmasters office still talking enthusiastically about the game they had just witnessed.

"I can't believe Chelsea came back, I thought they were done for." Nate said the second his father stepped out of the floo.

"I never lost hope." Albus said with a smile and a light laugh.

"That's only because I bet a box of Fudge that Manchester would win. You only cared about the candy." Nate said.



Albus laughed out loud and refrained from answering. Instead he opened the door to their quarters and let his son step through before following him. "I don't know about you but I'm exhausted. I'm going to bed." Albus asked his son.

"I think I'm going to go practice in the dueling room. My silent casting could use some work and I'm wired. I don't think I could sleep if I tried." Nathan said rocking on the balls of his feet.

"Don't stay up too late and Nathan, be careful. Don't do anything you're not one hundred percent comfortable with. If you need any help you know where your mother and I will be." Albus told his son seriously. He normally never let the children in the dueling room unsupervised, Harry had never even been inside it, but he trusted Nathan to know his limits more than his other children so he gave him a bit more leeway. That didn't stop him from worrying about his son.

"I know, I know." Nathan said with a roll of his eyes.

"Alright. Good night, I'll see you tomorrow afternoon if you're not up by breakfast." Albus said. He ruffled his sons hair then walked towards where he knew his wife was waiting for him.

"Dad." Nathan said. Albus stopped walking and turned around with a questioning look. "I had a really wicked time tonight, thanks."

"I had a good time too." Albus said with a smile, glad that he and his son's relationship was back to normal. There had been some lingering tension and awkwardness for the past few weeks but this late night outing seemed to have put all of that behind them. Their bond had withstood its first hurdle and it had come out stronger. "I love you, Nathan." He said looking into the eyes he had given to his son.

"Love you too, dad." Nate said with a crooked little grin.

Albus nodded then resumed his walk to the master bedroom. Tomorrow was Friday and he had to get his paper work done in advance so that he and Minerva had Saturday free to consult with the specialist. He entered the bedroom and found Minerva sitting against the headboard with a sketch pad resting on her lap.

"How was the game?" she asked not looking up from her drawing.

"It was great actually. Nathan and I had a brilliant time." Albus answered as he pulled the blue Chelsea hat off of his head. "And I won a box of fudge." He added with an impish grin.

Minerva looked up from her pad with incredulous face. "You bet on a game with you son." She said laughter lacing her voice.



"And won too." Albus said. He took a whiff of himself and made a face. "I smell like I crawled out of a pub. I'm going to go take a shower."

"We're out of your soap." Minerva called after him. "We only have mine left we'll have to pick some up this weekend."

Albus nodded that he had heard her and left the room to take a quick shower. By the time he returned smelling strongly like lavender his wife was already dosing off, her sketch pad nowhere to be seen. He crawled into bed and snuggled up to Minerva. He let their closeness wash away all the stresses of the day and it left him feeling completely relaxed.

It was one of the many special things about their bond. Even the smallest of touches made him feel like there was nothing wrong in the world. Her touch made him feel invincible, she was his strength.

Saturday dawned like any other mid-November morning, with bitter winds and frosty temperatures. Harry had decided the night before to take advantage of the weekend to sleep in until at least half past nine. Maybe if he hadn't had such excitable friends he would have been able to.

"Harry, get your arse out of bed." Seamus yelled right before he launched himself into the air and landed on Harry's sleeping form.

Harry who hadn't even heard the yell of warning woke up when the full weight of his friend landed on his chest knocking the air out of his lungs. "Ooff".

"Good morning sunshine." Seamus said with a wicked grin, still on top of Harry.

"Get off." Harry said then he pushed his friend from his bed and tried to hide from the world under his thick blanket. Seamus let out a small scream of surprise before he hit the ground with a thud.

"This just won't do." Seamus said as he stood and pulled the blankets from his friend. "Come on its breakfast and you promised that we could go outside to kick the football for bit" Seamus whined.

"Why me?" Harry moaned pitifully into his pillow that he clutched with all his might.

"Because the fates are against you." Seamus said dryly. "Now get up!" he said then pulled Harry's pillow from beneath his head.



Harry lie on his bed his eyes still closed searching for some source of warmth or comfort but found none, Seamus had stolen them all. "Fine, I'm getting up." He said despairingly.

Seamus stood there with his arms crossed for a few moments and when Harry didn't move he grabbed his friends arm and pulled him out of bed. They both tumbled to the ground, Harry luckily enough landed on Seamus saving himself from the hard floor.

"Ouch." Seamus said from beneath Harry. "You have a really bony butt."

"Good." Harry said feeling slightly better knowing that he had enacted some revenge upon his friend, who had so rudely woken him up. He stood up slowly not bothering to try and save Seamus the discomfort of his 'bony butt'. Without bothering to help his friend up he grabbed some random clothes from his trunk and stumbled to the bathroom.

Twenty minutes later he emerged dressed, bathed, and refreshed. Instead of his normal school uniform Harry wore a stylish pair of blue jeans and a thick long sleeve shirt. Seamus was sitting on his bed dressed similarly in a pair of jeans and a jumper; he had a scarf, hat, gloves, and his cloak spread out on his bed.

"Finally, could you have taken any longer?" Seamus said from his spot on his bed.

"Don't push it." Harry warned his friend, he was still angry about being woken up from his restful sleep. He walked to his trunk and pulled out a black jumper, a pair of red gloves, a red hat, and a black cloak with the Potter insignia stitched above the left breast. "I'm ready." He stated.

"Aren't you forgetting a ball?" Seamus asked with a smirk. Harry cursed and reopened his trunk and grabbed a ball from his junk section. "Now you're ready." Seamus said cheerily. "Come on I want food, and breakfast ends soon."

Harry glared at his friend as Seamus grabbed his gloves his scarf and his hat and walked out of the room happily. Giving one last look to his bed he followed. He had a feeling to day was going to be a long day.

Albus woke before dawn broke on that particular Saturday, something that was nearly impossible to get him to do, but these weren't exactly normal circumstances. Today he and Minerva had a meeting with Doctor Allen Rockman. They were getting a second opinion on the birthing process for their newest bundle of joy.

For hours he lay with his eyes watching Minerva. He had memorized every contour of her face years ago but seeing her was still one of his life's greatest joys.



"I can't sleep with you watching me so intently." Minerva said breaking Albus from his trance like state. Minerva's eyes were still closed but a smile tugged at her lips.

"I can't bear to look away." Albus said in a voice hoarse from sleep. "We still have two hours until the appointment."

"Good, because I'm comfortable." Minerva said opening her eyes. Her hand snaked out from under the covers and immediately found her husband's. "Do you remember the summers before the children, how we would lay in bed until lunch. Sometimes doing nothing but watching each other, most of the time practicing making our future children." She said with a fond smile and a slight laugh.

"I remember every second I'm with you." Albus said looking into his wife's eyes. They stayed like that completely still for an unknown amount of time, eyes locked, barely blinking, and their faces inches apart.

Minerva was the one to break the silence of the moment. "Your breath smells." She whispered to her husband with a smile.

Albus chuckled. "So does yours." He informed his wife in a low voice. All the while his thumb was rubbing circles on the palm of her hand; he didn't even realize he did it. When he and Minerva had first got together she had told him that she enjoyed it, he had done it ever since.

"I love your smelly morning breath." Minerva said in an offhanded manner. Albus raised an eyebrow questioningly, silently asking why she loved his smelly breath. "I love your smelly morning breath because every morning when I wake up with you by my side it is the first thing I smell. It's when I don't smell your bad breath that I worry."

"Does this mean you want me to stop brushing my teeth?" Albus asked with a grin.

"If you stop brushing your teeth I'll be forced to stop kissing you." Minerva said with a barely hidden smile.

"Now that would be tragic." Albus said. "But I don't think you could resist my charm."

"Is that a challenge?" Minerva asked her eyes coming alive.

Albus swallowed nervously. If he said yes, he wouldn't be able to kiss his wife until he conceded defeat or until she gave in. The latter had never happened hence his quickly saying. "Of course not dear."

"Good, I would hate to not be able to kiss you. It's one of the highlights of my day." Minerva said moving closer to him slowly.



"If that's the case I think we should start the day off right." Albus said watching his wife, giving her control of the situation.

Using her prior knowledge and experience Minerva turned and languidly crawled on top of her husband, straddling him and in the process grinding lightly against him causing him to groan slightly. Albus grabbed her hips as she leaned down to give him a searing kiss that left the both of them breathless.

"You drive me crazy." Albus said shifting his hips trying to find a comfortable position so that he could settle down. He knew they shouldn't be doing this; they had an appointment in an hour and a half.

"I like crazy." Minerva said as she nibbled on his ear. She slowly moved lower so that she was kissing and biting his neck, then his shoulder.

Albus laid as still as he could trying to enjoy his wife's ministrations but it was difficult for him to stay calm as when he was watching his wife's full red lips kiss a trail down his body. He was forced to shut his eyes tightly after he watched Minerva's mouth engulf one of his sensitive nipples.

As Minerva's mouth moved lower and lower he wondered if he should do the responsible thing and stop before things went too far, but when his wife kissed him right above his pelvis all conscious thought left him. If they were late it would be worth it.

"We're late." Albus announce as he parked his sleek and shiny silver Porsche in the parking lot of the physician's office.

"I'm hungry." Minerva said in the same tone of her husband, not seeming at all concerned about their lateness. In reality she didn't really want to be here. She had never been to a muggle doctor and she wasn't sure they could do anything to help her that Poppy couldn't.

Albus sent his wife a look but refrained from saying anything. If he did open his mouth he would be tempted to say something to the effect that if she hadn't distracted them they would have had time for breakfast. Instead he reached into the pocket of his muggle suit and pulled out a freshly baked muffin he had grabbed specifically for this purpose.

Minerva snatched the freshly baked treat. "My hero." She said before taking a rather large bite out of her snack."Mmm." she moaned in pure bliss. "Blueberry, my favorite, thank you." She said before she got out of the car.

"You're welcome." Albus said with a smile all his former annoyance slipping from him when he saw the delighted expression on his wife's face. He climbed out of the car and fumbled slightly 

with the keys looking for the little button that would lock one of his preferred toys. He smiled when he heard the little beep that told him he had successfully master the locking mechanism. Driving he could do in his sleep but he wasn't so muggle savvy as to master all the little tricks that came with it, but he was getting there.

"Are you ready?" he asked as he laced his fingers through Minerva's. Minerva nodded opting not to speak through a mouth full of muffin. Together they slowly made their way to the entrance of the building. They made it to the waiting room with relatively little trouble the exception being the automatic door. When Albus had gone to open it for his wife it had opened by itself nearly hitting him in the face.

They entered a comfortable looking room filled with large leather couches and a receptionist desk. There were a few couples but the room was mostly filled with women who were sitting alone, several kept looking impatiently at their watches. Albus steered Minerva to the reception desk and immediately a young blonde girl greeted them.

"Hello and welcome to Greenwood medical center. Name please?" She said the wide smile never leaving her face. Minerva just took another bite of her muffin and let Albus handle the talking.

"Brian and Anne Ambrosias. We have a consultation with Doctor Rockman." Albus said confidently, without even the slightest hesitation at using their fake names. These were their muggle aliases and over the past few years with the children venturing into the world they had been getting a lot of use. Ambrosias was also the surname that their children used in both the magical and muggle worlds so they wouldn't be recognized for whose children they actually were.

The pretty blonde girl typed something into what Albus recognized as a computer then made a humming noise. "Yes you're scheduled for a consultation at ten o'clock." She said then sent a pointed look at the clock that told them it was quarter past ten.

Albus smiled his second most charming smile; the first was reserved for his wife, and leaned forward a little. "Traffic was horrible. I'm truly sorry, is there any way I can make it up to you?" he said in a voice lower than his normal tenor.

A slight blush rose on the cheeks of the blonde secretary and she stuttered out a squeaky. "Just try to be on time your next appointment." Behind them Minerva was trying to swallow her final bite of muffin without laughing hysterically at the situation. Her husband was old enough to be this girl's grandfather for Merlin's sake. The receptionist cleared her throat and gained some control of herself. "If you would please take a seat, the doctor will be with you shortly." She said with all the dignity she could muster.

Albus looped his arm with Minerva's and they walked to an empty couch. As soon as they sat down Minerva buried her head in her husband's finely tailored suit and giggled like a school girl. 

Albus put his arm around her shoulder and held her close watching her with amused eyes and a slight smile. "That poor girl, Albus, you're a dog." She said in a whispered voice lifting her head from his chest.

"No I'm as the kids say now a day's drop dead sexy." Albus replied confidently.

Minerva snorted unladylike drawing looks from everyone in the room and she once again buried her face in her husband's suit to hide her laughter. She lifted her head from his chest this time with a straight face. "If I had known you were this vain when I married you." She said teasingly.

"You couldn't resist me then either." Albus said lifting one hand and smoothing down his hair and brushing invisible lint off the sleeve of his suit jacket.

"And here I thought you were the one smitten with me." Minerva said with a raised eyebrow.

"Smitten, no that's not the right word at all." Albus said making Minerva look at him with a hard look in her eyes. "Completely, uttering and unbelievably in love sounds more accurate." He said with a smile that had been known to make her week in the knees in the past.

Minerva rolled her eyes but refrained from answering; instead she leaned against Albus and sat back comfortably the warm and fuzzy feeling in her stomach only improving the good mood the muffin had left her in. It was only when she had taken her attention off of her husband that she noticed the looks they were receiving from the rest of the room. Most of the women who had come alone were starring at her and Albus with blatant jealousy, even some of the women who were with their husbands were starring at them.

Just when she was becoming uncomfortable with the supposed to be discrete looks the receptionist spoke up. "Mr. and Mrs. Ambrosias. Doctor Rockman will see you now."

Minerva stood up first and straightened out her knee length skirt and slightly loose blouse. Albus did the same to his hand made black Italian suit. Automatically they grasped each other's hand and made their way to the door that the receptionist was holding open for them. They were led down a straight corridor with dark wood paneled walls to a room with a golden name plate reading 'Dr. Allen Rockman MD' in bold script.

The door opened before they could knock by an older looking man with a reassuring smile, dressed in slacks a blue dress shirt and a white lab coat. He was shorter by Albus by at least three inches, had a full head of grey hair and a face full laugh lines. "Ah Mr. and Mrs. Ambrosias." The doctor said shaking hands with both of them. "Come in, come in. I've been expecting you."



Albus and Minerva were ushered into a modern looking office that had three chairs already set up for their meeting. "Sit, please. Can I get you anything to drink, possibly eat?" he asked with a look at Minerva.

Minerva smiled slightly feeling at ease at the doctor's friendly manner. "Do you have any biscuits?" she asked feeling years younger than she really was. Sometimes she truly did enjoy the freedom that came with being in the muggle world. Here Albus and she could act like any other couple without the worry of a wizarding world scandal or some dark wizard hunting the children down.

Dr. Rockman smiled and walked to a cabinet and pulled out a tin of assorted biscuits. "My wife made them last night, enjoy." She said as he handed over the entire tin to Minerva. Minerva smiled happily and quickly opened the tin and put one in her mouth. Albus reached over to snatch one but before his fingers could grasp one, the back of his hand was hit with his wife's wand.

"Oww." He said rubbing his hand and watching his wife's wand apprehensively. He had learned during her first pregnancy not to anger Minerva to the point of her hexing him. Her magic seemed to be twice as strong and her anger three times as volatile when she was with child.

"That I believe brings us to why we are here." Dr. Rockman said interrupting the couple as he too was starring at the wand. Minerva's and Albus's eyes snapped to the doctor's and they both looked at him with such intensity that he was slightly unnerved. "Your husband explained to me your situation and for the past few days I have been consulting with my son to find a workable solution. I currently have several ideas all of which should work but I'll have to run tests to be sure."

"You mean to say that you might be able to help us?" Albus asked some of the shock he was feeling slipping into his voice. He had hoped there would be some help but he really hadn't expected it to be found so easily.

"Mr. Ambrosias or I should say Mr. Dumbledore now that we're alone, everyday in my world women give birth to children without the aid of these 'potions' you told me about. I don't see any reason why I can't help your wife. You told me your wife was allergic to an ingredient found in a 'blood restoration potion' so I am going to assume she's anemic and is at risk of heavy bleeding during birth. In my world this is situation is handled everyday without any ill effects." The doctor said with a smile at the matching expressions of shock and relief on the couples face.

"In the 'muggle' world as you called it, when someone is in need of blood we simply give them a blood transfusion, which in simple terms is giving the person in need someone else's blood. It of course has to be the right type and the blood is thoroughly screened before use, but its done everyday all across the world." Albus and Minerva looked slightly disturbed at the revelation.



"How do you get the blood for these 'transfusions'?" Albus asked curiously, Minerva looked like she wanted to ask something but she was too busy chewing a biscuit.

"Volunteers. Every drop given has the owners complete consent to be used in whatever means we see fit." Dr. Rockman said.

"That's odd not to mention dangerous." Minerva said after she swallowed her biscuit.

"No, no, it's completely safe." Dr. Rockman said trying to reassure his soon to be patient.

"What Minerva means Dr. Rockman, is that in our world you would never give someone your blood. It could be used against you through some of the darker aspects of the magical world." Albus explained to the doctor.

"Ahh." Doctor Rockman said acting as if he understood, when in reality this entire situation was

baffling him. He of course knew of magic, his son was a wizard but that didn't mean he understood it.

"What were these test's you spoke of?" Albus asked slightly concerned.

"Blood test's mostly. I need to identify your wife's blood type and then I need to test if I can give a magical person a normal person's blood or if the blood needs to be donated by another magical person. Things of that nature, all routine."

"When do we start?" Minerva asked her hand snaking its way into the tin that was already nearly empty.

The doctor smiled jovially. "We start now. I'll take you to an exam room for a blood sample and some other things, then I'll schedule you another appointment and you two can be on your way." The doctor said all this as he stood up and signaled for Albus and Minerva to follow suit.

As they were following the doctor to the exam room Albus couldn't keep the smile off his face. It wasn't definite yet but this doctor had given him the hope that he had missing since Minerva had told him about the baby. When he had first heard the words 'I'm pregnant' he thought it was as good as her saying 'I'm dying'.

Minerva saw her husband's smile and she felt the relief coming off of him. It made her heart lighter to know that if this went successfully their troubles wouldn't be over but they wouldn't be so overwhelming.

She reached in the tin that she had brought with her and took a large bite of the amazing biscuits. She didn't know what recipe it was or even the name of the biscuits but it was one of the most delicious things she had ever tasted.



Albus watched the complete bliss on his wife's face as she slowly chewed the biscuit. They looked really good and he hadn't had breakfast, he had only remembered to bring a muffin for Minerva. An idea popped into his head and without thinking of the possible consequences he leaned towards his wife as if he was about to kiss her but instead he snatched the half biscuit, that had been making its way to her mouth, out of her hand.

Minerva paused and nearly tripped as she forgot to watch where she was walking. She starred at Albus in shock as he chewed the biscuit making small sounds of appreciation. "That was tasty." He said.

"You stole my biscuit!" Minerva accused.

"Me!" Albus said in astonishment his eyes sparkling with laughter. "Never."

"I just watched you." Minerva said moving the tin to her left hand so it was farther from her husband.

"What proof do you have?" Albus asked purposely playing dumb.

Minerva swallowed a smile and reached up with her right hand to wipe the crumbs off her husband's mouth. "You've been caught red handed."

"Hmm." Albus hummed. "It seems I have." He said then completely dropped the subject.

"Don't you have something to say for yourself?" Minerva asked feeling like she was disciplining her children.

"It was a very good biscuit." Albus said with a smile. Minerva raised an eyebrow and gave him the look that said that wasn't what she was looking for. Albus stopped in the middle of the hallway and reached up to cup Minerva's face gently. "Thank you for sharing." She said then leaned in to give her a kiss, but instead of kissing her he licked the right side of her mouth then the left and the finally kissed her on the lips. Minerva looked at him questionably and Albus smiled somewhat sheepishly as he realized several nurses and Dr. Rockman were staring at them. "You had some chocolate on your face."

Minerva tried to be at least annoyed with her husband's immature behavior but she couldn't find it within herself when he looked so adorable with his childlike happiness radiating off of him. "Thank you." She said deciding to play along. "Maybe later I'll return the favor but right now we have somewhere to be."

Albus smiled stupidly as they started following the doctor again. Neither of them noticed the looks they were receiving from the nurses who had witnessed the encounter.



"Here we are." Dr. Rockman announced as he opened the door to a room that said 'Exam Room IV'. "Make yourselves comfortable and Mrs. Dumbledore if you could please sit on that bench there. If you would like to join her Mr. Dumbledore that would be fine." The doctor said as he immediately started to rummage through the shelves, pulling out several instruments that neither Minerva nor Albus recognized.

They both sat down, Albus with his right hand on the small of Minerva back and his left holding her hand and gently rubbing circles on her wrist to relieve and lingering fears she may have. Not that she was afraid, she was uncertain of what would happen and that left her feeling slightly uneasy.

Dr. Rockman sat in a chair with wheels attached to the bottom and rolled across the room with practiced ease. "Right now I'm going to check your heart rate and your blood pressure. Nothing to be worried about." He said with a look to their closeness.

Minerva felt decidedly uncomfortable as Dr. Rockman took her heart rate. The metal object was cold and her heart raced when the doctor put his hands on her chest. "I need you to relax dear." The doctor said in a gentle almost fatherly voice which almost made her laugh, she was older than this man, even though she didn't feel it at the moment.

Albus could tell that Minerva was uncomfortable and if he was honest with himself so was he. The doctor was anything but unprofessional but his soul was screaming possessively that Minerva was his and that no one had the right to touch her but him. He pushed down the urge to slowly and painfully disembowel the doctor and instead took Minerva's face in his hand and stared her in the eyes, so that all they saw was one another.

"Very good." The doctor said breaking them from one another. Minerva blinked and felt slightly ashamed at her dramatic reaction. It wasn't as if he had been doing anything inappropriate either. She hadn't felt this dumb since she had spilled pumpkin juice all down her front while staring at Albus, her then transfiguration teacher. Rolanda still brought the memory up because she thought it was hilarious.

The doctor wrote some thing down on a clip board then took a piece of clothe with some tubes attached to it. "Now for the blood pressure. This one shouldn't be so difficult. If you could please roll you sleeve up as far as you could." Minerva did as the doctor order and rolled the sleeve up with a twitch of her finger. Dr. Rockman blinked, before shaking his head. "Even after nearly ten years of my son being a wizard magic still manages to surprise me." He said with a small chuckle as he wrapped the cloth around Minerva's upper arm.

"It been surprising me for more than eighty years, don't worry, its normal." Albus said good naturedly to the doctor.



The doctor hesitated then finished wrapping Minerva's arm. When he was finished he looked searching at Albus and then at Minerva. "How old are you exactly?" he asked his professionalism slipping for the first time that day.

"I was born in 1910 and I am currently eighty one years of age." Albus said with smile at the man's stunned face.

The doctors eyes swiveled to Minerva's. "I'm sixty seven. Albus is fourteen years my senior." Minerva said also enjoying the doctors shocked look.

"Your both older than me but yet you look as if I could have fathered you." The doctor said after a few moments his cheery personality back.

"Witches and wizards have much longer life spans that muggles. On average we live to be about one hundred and fifty. Some live longer depending on how magically powerful they are." Albus explained.

"That's truly extraordinary. Some day you must explain it to me in more detail." The doctor said. Then with a shake of his head he made quick work of checking Minerva's blood pressure. It was so quick that Minerva didn't even have time to become nervous at the close proximity. "One-twenty over eighty that's perfect. You are a healthy woman Minerva." Minerva was somewhat puzzled as to what the doctor had just done and how it had told him that she was healthy but she decided not to ask questions.

The doctor set aside his blood pressure machine and next reached for a small tube that was wrapped in plastic. "This is called an I.V." He said showing the couple the contraption. "I put this thin metal tube into a vein and it drains blood into this vial. It's not a painful process but it some people are slightly intimidated by this part of the procedure. Are you ready?"

"Yes, of course." Minerva said pushing aside her nervousness.

The doctor wiped her arm with a small wet cloth that smelled strongly of cleaning products before, he quickly and gently inserted the needle into the crook of her arm. Minerva had braced herself but found it was unnecessary because the pain was almost nonexistent and the process was over before she could feel even remotely uncomfortable. When the doctor was done he wiped the small dot of blood from her arm and taped a small piece of gauze to her. The blood was put on a tray with her alias neatly printed on the vial.

"Now I need to ask you some basic questions for my chart. If you feel uncomfortable , I'm sorry but most of these questions need to be asked. For your sake of mind anything you tell me is privileged information, I swore and oath as a doctor to the confidentiality of my patients."

Minerva and Albus exchanged a look but consented to the questioning. It started out simple enough her day of birth, a detailed metical history, when her children had been born, what 

happened when Nathan was born, her stress levels, did she exercise, and did she eat a balanced diet. It was the next question that made Albus and Minerva somewhat uncomfortable.

"How often do you have sex?" Dr. Rockman asked with the same polite smile he had had on his face when he asked every other question.

"Often." Albus said vaguely.

"Once every two weeks, once a week, everyday?" the doctor asked his tone never changing.

"If Albus isn't stuck in Ministry of International meetings every day, sometimes twice a day." Minerva answered professionally trying not to blush.

The doctors pen made some scrapings against his paper before he asked his next question. "When was the last time you had sex?" he asked pen poised to write.

"This morning." Albus answered saving Minerva the embarrassment.

There were some more scribbles from the doctor then he asked his next question. "Was there any discomfort, pressure, or bleeding during your intimacy?" he asked.

"No." Minerva said her voice just barely off tune as she pushed down any embarrassment. She was a grown women and she knew that she shouldn't be embarrassed to talk about her sex life but it seemed wrong to call what she and Albus did just sex. To them it was something more. When they made love their soul's connected in a way that she knew from Rolanda's story's and Albus's past experience's that other peoples didn't. They had something special and to speak of it so plainly trivialized it.

"Good, good." The doctor said writing down her response. The rest of the questions weren't nearly as bad. Just some about the regularity of her menstrual cycle and if she was sure she was pregnant.

The doctor stood up from his chair and put his clipboard worth of medical information on a table. He went to a closet that Minerva hadn't paid much attention to and pulled out a thin looking gown. "I'll step out of the room and I need you to change into this gown for the vaginal exam." The doctor said his tone never changing.

"Excuse me?" Albus asked his voice coming out as a growl.

"Could you repeat that?" Minerva said at the same time.

"Another difference between our worlds?" The doctor asked rhetorically. "In my world women have regular vaginal exams to ensure that they are completely healthy, especially if they are expecting a child." The doctor explained.

"We have spells that do the same." Minerva said crisply. "I'm sorry to cause any problems doctor but a physical exam is not possible." Albus remained silent, his jaw tightly clenched, fearing that he would say something inappropriate; instead he let his wife take care of the situation.

"I can understand you hesitance, many women feel the same nervousness, but in the end it really is better to, I believe the term is, 'bite the bullet'." The doctor said with a reassuring smile.

"Most women aren't bonded body and soul to another human being. I'm sorry doctor but the only man who has ever or will ever see all of me is my husband and you are not him." Minerva said with a fire in her eyes that made the doctor slightly nervous.

"I'm sorry if I offended you and I offer you no ill will at your refusal." The doctor said politely.

"Apology accepted." Minerva said in a more friendly tone. Albus remained quiet.

The doctor looked at Albus for a brief moment but looked back to Minerva when he saw that the man's blue were literally glowing in anger. "I'll schedule an appointment for next Saturday at eleven, if that works for you, so that we can discuss our options."

"That's fine Dr. Rockman. Thank you very much for everything." Minerva said shaking the doctor's hand. Albus followed suit and shook the doctors hand politely, stomping out his anger.

Ten minutes later they were both seated in their shiny silver Porsche digesting the enormity of what had happened. Feeling slightly numb with a mixture of relief and apprehension Albus started the car and began the drive out of London.

Minerva was watching the scenery pass without really paying much attention to where they were. She was slightly surprised when she felt the car turned down a bumpy road and drive towards an empty field. "Albus? Where are you going?" she asked her confusion evident.

Albus smiled but didn't answer instead he parked under a large tree that only had a few leaves left on it. Albus turned the car off and turned in his seat so that he was looking directly at Minerva. "You're going to be fine, and we're going to have another child." Albus said as if he was realizing this for the first time, which he probably was. The shock from earlier was fading and the reality of the situation was setting in. "I hope it's a girl and she's as beautiful as you." He said.

Minerva smiled widely at her husband's happiness. She wanted to tell him how happy she was about everything but words failed her so instead she leaned forward and kissed him hard on the lips. Albus responded eagerly in turn and soon the windows of the small car where fogged up and the birds from the tree they were parked under had long since moved.

"I still say I won." Seamus said before eating a spoonful of mashed potatoes.

"What world do you live in? The score was indisputably twenty-seven to me and fourteen to you. How does that make you the winner?" Harry asked incredulously.

"You can't look at just the score." Seamus explained. "I get a handicap of ten points because you have been playing for years longer than I have."

"That still leaves you three points shy of beating me." Harry pointed out dryly.

"That's when you factor in who looked better while playing and since I'm the more handsome and charming of us I get a five point boost making me the winner." Seamus explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"You are not the good looking one!" Harry said loudly, making several upper years look at him oddly. "Daphy, tell Seamus I'm the handsome one." He said with a pout looking at the red head who was sitting to his right.

Daphne who had been quietly eating her meal hoping to not get dragged into one of their arguments cringed. She had known that accepting Harry's invitation to sit with him at dinner was going to be a mistake but he had pleaded saying how he might not survive his detention tonight and if he died he wanted to have spent his last meal with beautiful company and Seamus.

Daphne looked at Blaise to see if he had any advice for her but he was actually having a quiet conversation with one of the Weasley twins, conversation used liberally. Really it was the twin talking with Blaise nodding a lot and very rarely saying anything, but the boy did look interesting if the spark in his eye was anything to judge by.

Knowing that nothing good could come from this she made a show of looking critically at both Harry and Seamus. "Nope sorry. I see no even remotely handsome boys here." She said in a lofty voice.

"What?" Seamus asked. "I'm not only handsome, I'm sexy." He said with a smirk that had Harry slightly nervous.

Daphne squinted and tilted her head to the side. "I have no idea what you're talking about but your obviously delusional or blind."

"What about me is unattractive then?" Seamus asked looking put out.

Daphne smiled wickedly which made Harry grin, knowing his friend had asked for it. "Your scrawny, you have a bad haircut, your arms are too long, your face is to round, you're not tall enough, one ear is higher than the other, and you dress like a slob. I could go on if you like." Daphne said all of this with a false pleasant voice and a fixed smile.

There was silence for a few seconds before Harry started laughing at the devastated face of his friend. "My ears are not crooked I'll have you know." Seamus said angrily. Daphne let out a small giggle and then a full blown laugh so that for the next few minutes both her and Harry were laughing at the look on Seamus's face.

"You'd think from his expression that we'd killed his kitten." Daphne said once she had calmed down. Seamus continued to pout and ignored Daphne's comment.

Harry agreed with Daphne but out of self preservation, he did sleep in the same dorm as Seamus, he didn't say anything further to the damaged ego of his friend. The rest of their meal past uneventfully in Harry's standards, Fred and George had moved closer to the trio after nearly a half an hour of conversation with Blaise, and they told loud and outrageous stories that everyone knew couldn't be true, but everyone enjoyed them nonetheless. Daphne especially enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere of the Gryffindor table compared with the strict silence of the Slytherin house.

Harry sat and ate for as long as he could until it was obvious he was stalling for time. If he could have had his way he would have been the last person eating in the Great Hall, but as luck would have it the twins saw what he was doing.

"Come on Harry"

"We have detention in the"

"Forbidden Forrest tonight." They said as they each grabbed him by an arm and lifted him off the bench and set him on his feet.

Harry looked longingly at where Daphne, Seamus, and Blaise were sitting laughing at his abrupt departure but didn't fight the twins. "Farewell." He cried dramatically to his friends making them laugh harder. The rest of the Great Hall was staring at him some wondering if he were mad, but he ignored them. "If I die keep your grubby hands away from my trunk Seamus!" He called out as an afterthought.

Seamus put a hand over his heart and called "You wound me." He probably would have said more but at that point Harry was lead beyond the tall door that lead out of the Great Hall.

Up at the head table Albus and Minerva shared a look that went unnoticed by everyone still in the Great Hall.

"Thank Merlin he's not my kid. He looks like a handful." Rolanda said aloud to no one in particular but her eyes were on Minerva and shining mischievously. To Albus's shock every teacher who taught Harry, except for Severus he still refused to come to the upper levels of the castle, nodded their heads in agreement.

Minerva wanted to say something in the defense about her son, but for the sake of secrecy she couldn't and even if she weren't bound by secrecy she would be lying if she said that Harry wasn't a handful. If left unoccupied her son could cause serious mischief, hence the hours upon hours of karate and football. She smiled a bit smugly to herself for how well she had kept her son busy and as a result of out of trouble for ten years as she took a sip of her pumpkin juice.

As soon as Harry and the twins exited the Great Hall they saw Filch waiting for them. He was to be their escort to the grounds keepers' hut, a half giant named Hagrid, who would take them into the forest for their detention.

"Brilliant." The twins both muttered under their breath before putting large smiles on their faces.

"Hello, Mr. Filch." Fred said.

"Lovely weather we're having." George said

"Yes it is quite smashing." Fred responded. Harry had to stop himself from laughing out loud at the hateful look the care taker sent to the twins. Harry knew that if his father hadn't strictly forbidden it Filch would have had them strung up in the dungeons for weeks.

"I don't have all day and you three have detention in the Forbidden Forest tonight, get going." Filch said as cruelly as he could.

The walk down to the forest was in no way comforting. The more they walked the closer they came to the ominous and dark line of trees that marked the beginning of the forest. Harry supposed he would have felt safer if he didn't know all of the creatures that lived in forest or if he had thought that if any of those creatures tried to maim or kill him and his friends, his father could be there at the drop of a hat. Unfortunately for his conscious he knew that even though his father was headmaster of the school and had control of the grounds, he had no control over the forest. The forest had been untamable in the days of the founders and over a thousand years later it still was a place where only the brave or stupid ventured willingly.



Even the twins became silent as Hagrids hut came into view. They stopped trying to annoy Filch with pleasant conversation and looked slightly worried at the swaying tree line in front of them.

They made their way to the hut that up close looked warm and inviting and Filch knocked on the door. When no one answered Harry was slightly ashamed to admit that for a few moments he hoped Hagrid was out so that they wouldn't have to go into the forest. He could tell by the small looks of hope on the twins faces that they were hoping for the same.

"O'er here." A gruff voice called from behind them. Harry's heart sank as he turned slowly and saw that Hagrid was indeed there. "Sorry bout that I was in me garden. You m'st be 'Arry." Hagrid said his warm black eyes looking Harry over like so many had already done this year, but instead of making him feel uncomfortable he felt kind of protected. He knew already that Hagrid was a friend of his parents, birth parents and adopted that is, and when he stared it felt more like he was making sure he was safe then trying to catch a glimpse of the boy-who-lived-to-hate-his-fame. "Ello Fred, George. Still ca't keep outta trouble I see."

"Hello Hagrid." Fred and George said with cheery waves ignoring Hagrids remark about the trouble they seemed to always be in.

"Off with ya Filch. I can handle these three unless you wanta be headin into the fo'est with us." Hagrid said making Filch send a quick look at the forest, Harry felt a swell of satisfaction that the care taker's face seemed a shade paler as he hurriedly walk back to the castle muttering about work he had to get done.

"A'right you three, we have some work to be getting done. Sometin's been killin Unicorns, I found one dead te other day and today I found fresh blood. Th'es a unicorn wounded in th're and we've gotta find it before she dies." Hagrid said as he lifted something up from the ground. Harry was slightly unnerved to see that it was a crossbow.

He really didn't want to go into the forest now. Unicorns were the purest and most innocent creatures in the magical world. Killing one was beyond evil. He didn't want to imagine what kind of creature could be hunting them.

Hagrid must have said something that he missed because he started to walk into the forest and Fred and George were following him. He quickly caught up with them; he didn't want to be lost before their search even began. He got instep behind Fred and George and tuned out whatever Hagrid was saying. It wasn't to be rude but even though he was slightly terrified, he was in the Forbidden Forest. There were countless rare and hard to find plants in here that you could only get either by venturing in here by yourself or buying them for countless galleons in Diagon alley.



The more time passed the more and more relaxed Harry got. They had been walking on a path for more than an hour and they had yet to see or hear anything other than the odd bird or small animal. The Forbidden Forest didn't seem so scary anymore. In fact Harry thought it was rather peaceful. In was nearly silent with the exception of cracking of twigs under their feet and the odd animal noise, though they weren't as frequent as Harry thought they should be. Above them Harry could sometimes catch glimpses of the half full moon and several stars.

Fred and George seemed to be having a good time too. They were chatting constantly with Hagrid about various subjects ranging from how good their quidditch team was this year, their first match was coming up soon, to what sorts of animals they would own if they didn't have to abide by ministry guidelines. Apparently Hagrids fondest wish was to own a dragon. After that fact was revealed the twins immediately started talking about their brother Charlie who worked at a Dragon reserve in Romania.

Harry listened with half an ear. He was also busy. His potion supplies were low already because he had been making at least three times as many potions as his year mates. He could have asked his parents to order him replacements or he could have done it with his pocket money, but this was much easier and was turning out to be more fun. All of his pockets were stuffed with various ingredients that he recognized. He had never, except for that one time in that candy shop in France, been happier that he had magically enlarged pockets. All he needed was aconite and if he could find it he would be thrilled to have some hellebore, but he doubted it would grow in the forest. Traditionally it liked warm and sunny places, not exactly the climate of the forest but a boy could hope.

He was scanning the path intently when he saw something shine in the wood off to the right. He stopped walking and squinted trying to see what it was but it was too far away for him to tell. All he could make out was a faint red glow. He looked back to Hagrid, Fred, George, but they hadn't noticed that he had stopped. They were too involved telling one another dragon stories. His curiosity overcame his fear of the forest and after a brief hesitation he strayed into the wood away from the safe path they had been following.

He walked the first few feet tentatively fearing that something would pop out of the shadows of the dark night and swallow him whole, but after he walked a good twenty feet without any trouble he once more set his sights on the red glow he had earlier observed. The glow was stronger now and larger. He was almost giddy with excitement as he walked quickly towards it, he had never been permitted to do something potentially dangerous unless there was no hope of him getting seriously hurt before and this was trip into the forest was turning out to be quite the adventure. He loved it. His face was flush with excitement as he thought of the possibilities of what the red glow could perhaps be. His pace quickened and a nervous smile broke out on his face.



He thought for a moment that he had lost sight of the glow and panicked; he closed his eyes once and reopened them. To his profound relief the red glow was just barely out of sight glowing merrily in the distance. His sense of urgency was pushing him forward, he was afraid that he was moving to slow and that by the time he reached the glow it would disappear again. He didn't know what 'it' was but the fear that it would disappear overcame him. Before he understood why he was running towards the glow. He still couldn't make out exactly what it was.

He ran towards it as fast as his football trained legs could carry him. He was getting closer he could feel it and the glow was becoming brighter. He could almost tell what it was, but not yet. He just needed to be a little bit closer. At the moment when it seemed as if he would finally discover the source of the glow a root caught his foot and he fell forward into a clearing. Pain shot through his body as his elbows and knees took the majority of his falling weight. His head was jolted forward and instead of the hard ground he was expecting it hit spongy grass.

"Oww." He said to himself. He pushed himself up off the floor of the wood and was surprised when he saw that half his body had collided with hard root covered forest floor and the rest, his head mainly, had landed in a patch of luscious green grass. The grass only covered a small area, only ten yards or so in length and width. It was what was in the center of the grassy patch that made Harry gasp slightly.

Growing in the center of the most magical and most dangerous forest on the continent was a rose bush, but this rose bush was far superior to any other rose bush he had ever in his life seen or ever heard about. Every rose seemed to be a burning flame, only contained in the shape of the most perfect rose. To Harry they seemed so out of place in the dangerous and difficult wilderness, but yet he couldn't think of any garden in the world that was fine enough as to have the right to house the magnificent bush. He could almost feel the magic emanating from them making the hair on his arm stand up and his skin tingle.

He slowly got up from the ground and walked hesitantly towards the bush. He stood for a moment staring at the roses trying to decide if they were safe to touch. Finally he put his hand out and touched the nearest rose.

He was shocked when he felt warmth actually flow through him; it felt as if he was sitting in front a friendly fire. He pulled his hand away quickly and cut himself on one of the thorns. His finger tip bled slow drops of red blood onto the ground but he hardly noticed. He was in awe of the urethral roses. As he stared at them he felt warmth flow through him, not in a physical way, it felt as if he were hearing a phoenix song. His soul felt lighter and he couldn't help but smile, he felt at peace. He wanted a rose to bring home to his family, he could only imagine what his 

father would say at the discovery, that is if he hadn't already known of them, but it felt wrong to take something as beautiful as this knowing that it would soon die.

He stood there in indecision for some minutes, trying to decide if he should take a rose, he probably could have stood there all night in the splendor of the plant and not mind the cold but loud voices in the distant made him realize that Hagrid and the twins must have noticed he was missing. Feeling slightly foolish he did what felt natural and asked out loud. "Could I please have one of your roses?" It seemed like the only thing he could do at that moment. It would have been rude to take one without at least trying to get permission because he knew this was much more than a simple plant, this bush was of a magical purpose. To what end or what purpose he didn't know but he did know with all his heart that it wasn't as innocent as it looked.

Nothing happened, and as a result he stood there for a few more moments, only in the back of his mind noticing that the voices were getting fainter. He was ready to give up when not one or even two, but three roses fell from the bush into the soft grass. He blinked in shock not actually believing that it worked. "Um, Thank you." He said out loud no longer feeling as foolish as he once had.

He bent down and as gently as he could he gathered the roses in his arms. They were larger and fuller than any normal rose he had ever seen, but seemed not to weigh any more than the air around him. He found the spot where he had fallen and made his way through the trees towards where he thought the path should be. He glanced once more at the magical bush, it was perfectly still in the windy night looking exactly as it had when he first set eyes upon it. As he walked the roses not only kept him feeling warm and at peace but they provided a faint light which made it easier for him to see since he couldn't take out his wand for fear of crushing one of the beloved roses.

He wondered in the trees for what seemed like hours but in reality he knew wasn't all that long, without finding any trace of the path or Hagrid and the twins. He was just starting to panic when he heard the sound of cracking branches in a clearing up ahead. Thinking that it must be Hagrid and the twins he made his way towards the clearing. He came through the thick trees into the clearing with a sheepish smile on his face and an apology on his lips for making them worry.

All thought left his mind when he saw what was really in the clearing. His stomach churned as he saw someone or something leaning over the body of a fallen unicorn. The slurping sounds left no guess as to what the creature was doing.

He stood there horrified for what seemed like an eternity before his senses came back to him. He tried to back into the woods where he could hopefully escape but his foot hit a tree stump, sending him and his roses sprawling to the ground.



The creature let out a hiss and turned towards where Harry was. It looked like the body of a man but Harry refused to believe that any man would kill such a pure creature. He could see the silver blood of the unicorn upon the monsters chin.

When Harry raised his eyes to where he supposed the monsters eyes must be his scar erupted in pain. It was the worst pain he had ever felt in his life, worse than the time he had fallen off his skate board and broken his left leg and right arm. He felt as if his scar would surely burst open and he would bleed to death in this forest clearing. He was sure that at any moment he would die or go mad from pain. He tried to open his eyes through the pain but could only just manage to do so; he didn't want to die not knowing what was coming.

He could see a blurry shape coming towards him and he tried to lift his arms or move his legs so that he could move away but they seemed paralyzed. The thing moved closer to him and reached out its arm to touch Harry's forehead. A pale white hand was inches from his face when something large came bounding out of the shadows and into the creature.

The creature shrieked as it was thrown out of the clearing, it came charging back but Harry heard a sharp twang and another angrier shriek from the creature. The last of the creature that Harry saw were its robes flowing out behind it as it ran. As soon as the creature was gone the pain in his scar all but disappeared leaving him with only a slight head ache.

"Are you alright?" a voice from above him asked. Harry looked up apprehensively and was slightly shocked to see a centaur standing over him with his hand stretched out in a helpful gesture. The centaur had white blond hair, a strong muscled chest, pale blue eyes, and the lower body of a palomino horse.

"You're a centaur." Harry stated stupidly. He knew from the stories and history text that he was always reading that centaurs rarely if ever got involved in the matters of wizards. They were, or at least his books told him so, happy to stay in the forests and read the night skies.

"And you are the Potter boy." The centaur said surprising Harry. "The forest is not safe, especially for you. Climb onto my back and I will take as far as the edge of the forest. You should be safe there."

"Are you sure?" Harry asked. He knew that centaurs were very proud creature and he had never heard of a centaur letting a human ride on its back before.

"Yes, hurry. The forest is not safe. Mars is bright." The centaur said as if it explained everything.

Harry nodded his understanding though he didn't quite get the bit about mars being bright. He gathered his roses gently as he could and was relieved to see that they bore no sign of their fall. In fact they look as pristine as when he first picked them up from the grassy floor. He climbed 

onto the centaur with no problem. He had been taught to ride a horse when he was younger, it was one of those, you have to do it so don't complain types of lessons.

"FIRENZE!" a voice thundered as another centaur came into the clearing. "What are you doing with a human on your back? Have you no pride or are you now a common mule?" Harry froze on the centaurs back as he watched two other centaurs make their way into the clearing one of dark color and another of a lighter tone, though not as pale as the one he was on.

"Do you realize who this is?" The centaur Harry was on, whose name he now knew to be Firenze, said back calmly. "This is the Potter boy, the sooner he leaves the forest the better."

"That is still not an excuse to have a human on your back!" the dark one shouted angrily.

"I'm sure Firenze thinks it for the best." The lighter one said quietly as he pawed the ground nervously. Harry thought it looked like he was afraid of the darker one.

"What does that have to do with us? Centaurs only concern is with what has been foretold. It's not our business to run around after stray humans, to let them use us like forest donkeys." The dark one retorted with a vicious glare. The pale centaur became quiet.

Harry felt Firenze tense. "Do you not see that unicorn?" He said somewhat heatedly, gesturing to the body of the slain unicorn that lay only a few feet from them. Harry tried not to look at the sight, the thought of something so pure and innocent dying in such a way broke his heart. "Do you not understand why it was killed? Or have the stars not yet let you in on that secret? I am against what is lurking in the forest, it and all like it. Even if that means I am to be on the side of the humans." Before Harry had time to brace himself, Firenze turned from the other two centaurs and galloped off into the woods. Harry had to use his knees to keep himself mounted otherwise he would have dropped the roses, and he would have looked like a fool in front of those two other centaurs if he had fallen off. Once the clearing was out of site Firenze slowed so that they were walking through the woods.

"Harry Potter, do you know what unicorn blood is used for?" Firenze asked suddenly.

"I have never read of such a thing." Harry answered quietly as he felt slightly sick as to whatever the use may be. Something like that could only be used for evil. Nothing would ever justify the killing of such an innocent creature.

"It is a monstrous thing to slay a unicorn. Only one who has nothing to lose but everything to gain would commit such a odious crime." Harry felt a chill of foreboding go down his spine, he didn't like where this conversation was going. "The blood of a unicorn will keep you alive even if you're an inch from death, but at a terrible price. You would live a half life, a cursed life, from the moment the blood touches your lips."



Almost against his will he asked the question that he both feared and needed to know. "What would do such a thing?" he asked.

"Do you know what is being hidden in the castle at this very moment?" Firenze asked.

"The Philosophers Stone." Harry whispered slightly horrified at what this revelation meant.

"Now if that monster that we both just witnessed could get his hands on the Elixir of Life it would be brought back to full strength and power. It would have eternal life with none of the ill effects of consuming the unicorn blood." Firenze said.

Harry shivered again. "But who could be after it? Who could be that desperate?" He asked again more insistently.

"Can you think of no one who would give everything even his humanity to once more have power?" Firenze asked.

"I've never heard of anyone that evil except Voldemort, but he's dead." Harry said without much conviction. The pieces of the puzzle were adding up and the answer seemed to be something worse than his worst nightmare.

"Nothing is ever as it seems. Voldemort is not dead. His body was destroyed the night he marked you but his essence was not." Harry sat frozen on Firenze's back, not even the warmth of his magic roses could warm the chill that fell over his heart.

Voldemort was alive and he had just seen him. It explained why his scar had hurt so badly, since Voldemort was the one who gave it to him. Why had his father never told him that Voldemort was still alive? He had to have known, he was Voldemorts biggest adversary not to mention he was the most powerful wizard of the day. Why had his mother said nothing? She knew everything his father did, but neither of them had seen fit to tell him that the man who killed his parent and had tried to kill him was still alive. Voldemort probably wanted revenge on him. He was the one who supposedly destroyed the Dark Lords body. If Voldemort ever came back he would kill Harry.

They came to the edge of the forest and Harry dismounted Firenze. "I can take you no further but you should be safe from here. Hurry your father is worried. Hagrid and the other boys returned nigh an hour ago without you."

Harry looked into Firenze's face searchingly. "You know my father?" He asked.

"Albus Dumbledore and I have had many long discussions about the cosmos. Your mother is well acquainted with my kind also, though she does not believe. She ventures into the forest for the scenery or so she says." Firenze said politely.



Harry nodded somewhat distractedly, his mind was moving in a continuous circle with Voldemort right at the center of his thoughts. Finally he realized that he had been standing there for far longer than was considered polite. "Thank you, Centaur Firenze. I believe you have just saved my life; I am in your debt. If there is ever anything I can do for you, you only have to ask." Harry said cordially. He really was grateful to Firenze and would feel horrible about being so distant later but t the moment his only train of thought revolved around Voldemort.

"Pass on my regards to your father and mother; tell them 'mars shines bright'." Firenze said. Harry nodded then turned to leave his mind replaying the events of earlier. The picture of the fallen unicorn kept surfacing nearly making him cry at the anguish he felt at the cruelly displayed to something so perfect. "I will be sure to tell your father of how you honored me with your words." Firenze said making Harry turn around. He thought he saw the Centaur smile but before he could see for sure Firenze galloped off into the woods.

Harry stood there for a moment feeling lost. He didn't know what to do. A branch cracked loudly somewhere to his left, making him jump out of his thoughts and he was thrown back into reality. Voldemort was alive somewhere in these woods and was standing there out in the open with arms full of roses. He would be an easy target if anything, namely Voldemort, were to attack him.

He looked to the lights of the castle and ran towards them not caring what he looked like. He just wanted to get back to the castle where he knew he had some level of safety. He knew Hogwarts was the one place Voldemort had never dared to attack; he hoped that that fact was still true.

A/N:

IM so sorry about the wait but Ive been super busy. I took two five week college classes, so I had school Monday through Thursday and then I work Friday through Sunday now that thats done I'm working seven days a week at my families business. I'm actually getting ready to head out to LBI right now to meet with some business executives with my uncle, oh joy.

Peace Im working on the next chappy leave, it'll be here when I'm done I promise.

ALisha

Review me!!


	19. Chapter 17

Harry practically flew through the trees using everything he had ever learned at football camp to run faster than he had ever run before. He came out of the tree line but didn't stop. He wanted to put as much distance between him and Voldemort as humanly possible. His roses bounced softly in his arms their gentle reassurances going unnoticed in his panic.

He was past Hagrid's hut and still running as if his life depended on it when he saw two figures hurrying out of the castle. He recognized the massive figure as Hagrid he saw the white beard his father wore sparkling in the moon light. He redirected himself slightly then sprinted across the vast lawns of Hogwarts.

It took only a couple of minutes for him to reach the pair of worried men, but it seemed like forever in his mind. He stopped suddenly right in front of the men and nearly collapsed. It may have taken only ten minutes or so but that was a long run, at least two miles and he had sprinted the entire way.

"Arms up Harry." He heard his father say.

He obeyed and watched as his roses fell out of his arms and land softly at his feet. He took in a few controlled deep breaths before looking at his father. He saw how carefully hidden his father's real worry was but that didn't deter him; he stared blankly at the man standing before unsure of how he should feel. His parents had told him that Voldemort was dead and that was obviously a lie. What else had they lied about? Why had they lied to him?

When he caught his breath he gently picked up his roses and turned towards his father, his face a mess of emotion. He was angry at his parents, he was terrified at having met Voldemort, and he was confused about how Voldemort was still alive.

"Why don't we go up to my office and discus your adventure here tonight?" Albus said. He was worried about his son. He had never seen Harry look so terrified.

Harry nodded because he was afraid of what he would say if he opened his mouth. Half of him wanted to yell and rant but he knew he couldn't say anything inappropriate out in the open. If anyone found out about his family they could be in danger. Especially so since he knew Voldemort was alive. He shivered noticeably at the thought of what Voldemort would do to his family.

"Ahh yes you must be cold. You're dripping with sweat and its freezing cold out here." His father said right before he cast a warming charm on his body, it didn't relieve the chill that had settled on his heart.

He watched impassively as his father said a few words to Hagrid before heading back up to the castle with him, while Hagrid went down to his hut. He kept his jaw clenched and held his roses tightly as he walked behind his father to the headmaster's office. His father tried to make light conversation but Harry ignored him, he didn't want to talk about the upcoming quidditch match or the points standings of the houses. He wanted answers.

They rode the spiral staircase in silence and once they were in the safety of Albus's office Albus spoke to his son. "Harry, what's wrong? What happened in the forest? You look like death warmed over." he said as he kneeled down so that he was eye level with his son. He felt Harry's clenched hands and frowned when he noticed they were ice cold.

Harry looked into his father's eyes, showing him all the betrayal and fear he felt. "You lied to me." Harry said quietly.

Albus's face showed the confusion he was feeling. "Harry, I don't understand."

"You told me Voldemort was dead." Harry said his eyes becoming suspiciously moist. "He's not!" Harry said sharply, his voice shook as his body. "I just met him in the forest."

Whatever Albus had been expecting this definitely wasn't it. His mind went blank as he stared at his shaking son, who right now seemed small. His son, his youngest son, had just seen Voldemort, one of the two most evil men he had ever fought in his life. He swallowed and tried to think of what he could do or say but he couldn't get past the fact that his Harry had just met Voldemort and he was still alive. No eleven year old boy should stand a chance against a dark lord.

"I…" Albus said but stopped because he didn't know what to say, there was nothing he could say.

Harry turned and walked stiffly out of the room, he had to get away. He rode the spiral stair case and stepped out into the dark corridor. He had planned on running somewhere or hiding in his dorm but as soon as he was off the stairs the adrenalin that had kept him going failed him. His knees gave out and he slid down the wall to the floor.

He stopped holding back the tears that had been threatening to over take him and let them flow. His arms fell to the stone floor and his roses tumbled out in front of him. He sat there unmoving, trying to keep his thoughts at bay. He felt safe inside the castle and as a result his mind wasn't so frantic. He could actually think of what had happened in the forest without worrying that Voldemort was going to pop out behind a tree and murder him.

He sat there, very aware of how the cold stone floor seeped through his thick dress slacks, chilling him for a few moments before he heard the spiral staircase from his father's office start. Someone was coming down, he thought briefly about getting up and running away but even he knew that that wouldn't accomplish anything. He couldn't avoid his parents forever and no matter if they lied to him he still loved them. He whipped the few tears from his face and leaned forward and gathered his roses so that they wouldn't accidentally be stepped on, and held them in his arms. The warmth they emanated flowed through him and the stone floor didn't seem as cold as it had a moment ago.

Unsurprisingly both of his parents stepped off the staircase, their faces looking determined and worried. He felt a stab of guilt for making them worry but squashed it, for now. He would worry about feeling guilty after he had answers.

He watched as both his parents walked right past him, not once looking down. If he hadn't been so angry he would have laughed at the irony of the situation, the most renowned witch and wizard of the age, known for their skill in magic and knowledge, walking right past what they were looking for. He toyed with the idea of letting them search the castle for him and exhausting themselves but the thought of his mothers condition was always somewhere in the forefront of his mind.

"Are you looking for-." He started to say sarcastically drawing their attention.

His parents whipped around before he had finished his first two words, their wands were drawn and their eyes were on fire with power. His stopped midsentence as the words died in his throat. For the first time in his life he caught a glimpse of the power his parents commanded. He never thought of them as the most powerful witch and wizard of the age, but he could feel the magical energy roll off of them in waves. He understood now why the public looked up to his father even though he dressed and acted like a fool. Power commands respect and it was obvious even to him, an eleven year old boy that his father and his mother possessed quite a bit of power.

"Harry!" His mother said as her wand disappeared into a fold of her robe. She immediately rushed towards him and gathered him in her arms.

Harry sat there on the ground with his face pushed into his mother's chest; he could just barely see his father over his mothers shoulder. He watched as his father waved his wand in a few complex motions before pocketing it and kneeling down beside them his face a mold of worry.

Harry tried to grab hold of some of his former anger so that he could demand answers out of his parents but he knew in a situation like this he had to be diplomatic. He and his parents could talk it out. There was also the fact that he had never in his life yelled at his mother and as far as he was concerned he never would. Instead he opted to just go with the flow and take things one step at a time.

The first step towards a successful and mature conversation would be to have his air supply returned to him. "Mum… Air… Please." He gasped out in a voice muffled through her robes.

Minerva pulled back from her son but didn't let go of him, instead she sat next to him on the stone floor and held him tightly. Harry noticed that her eyes looked slightly moist and that her ivory skin looked a shade paler than normal.

"Are you hurt Harry? Did Voldemort hurt you?" Albus asked as he kneeled in front of his son, an arm's length away.

Harry looked down and fiddled with the stem of one of his roses that had somehow survived his mother's bone crushing hug unscathed. He couldn't bear to see the worry in his father's face; his normally twinkling blue eyes were clouded and there were none of the usual traces of happiness or joy etched into his face. "He didn't hurt me. Centaur Firenze saved me." Harry said softly.

He could feel the air around them lighten as one of his parents fears were put to rest. Albus leaned forward and kissed his sons forehead at the same time as his mother kissed his cheek. Harry felt all of his residual anger fade away, replaced with the love his parents had for him.

His father sat on the stone floor next to Harry so that his mother was on one side and his father was on the other. Harry looked down at his roses and tried to think of what to say. He noticed the look his parents shared over his head but he didn't pay any attention to it. "You told me that you would never lie to me." He said slowly turning one of the roses over in his hand so that he could see it from all angles while waiting for his parents to answer.

"We never lied Harry." His mother said in a soft voice. "We withheld the truth to protect you but we have never lied to you."

"You said Voldemort was dead and he obviously isn't. How is that not a lie?" Harry said as politely as he could.

Minerva sighed and Albus spoke in their defense. "We told you that on the night he attacked you his curse backfired and destroyed him, which it did. He had been destroyed and he all but disappeared. We had planned on telling you when you turned thirteen that there was a strong possibility that although his body had been destroyed his essence wasn't."

Harry stared at his father. "So you've kept me in the dark for years, to what protect me?" He asked sarcastically. "If I had known that Voldemort was still alive I could have done something. I would have been prepared for meeting him in the forest. I wouldn't have just laid there waiting to die." Harry said angrily, but never raising his voice to a yell.

"Is that a life you would have liked to live Harry?" His mother asked. He turned his head and looked at her; he hated how sad her eyes looked. "A life from the time you were born you were trained to know how to do and handle anything. A life where the words fun, love and laughter have no place, where instead there are lessons, perfection, and unacceptable failures. Would you have preferred that your father and I raised you as we had been raised?"

Harry could hear the sadness in his mother's voice and he thought he could feel his heart being torn in two. He couldn't bear to see his mother upset, it especially broke his heart if he knew he had been the one to make her so. He wanted to apologize for upsetting her but he was determined to have his say in this conversation. If he tried it would be one big cry fest on both his and his mothers parts, he would apologize later.

"No but I think I have the right to know if someone wants me dead. You had no right to keep that from me." Harry said incredulously.

"As your parents we had and do have every right to protect you." Albus said with conviction. "We chose to raise you to the best of our ability to be a normal, happy boy. If we had told you Voldemort was still alive in some form you would have lived but a shadow of the life you have lead. You would have grown up in constant fear, always wondering if that creak in the stairs was a madman coming to murder you. That is not a life I would wish upon anyone, especially one I loved so dearly." Harry listened to his father's words and he felt his concern. He understood why his parents hid the fact that Voldemort was alive from him and he didn't like it, but he could understand their reasoning and he was no longer as angry as he had been. He was still annoyed but he understood that they did it because they loved him. He really couldn't argue with that.

"I was more scared than I have ever been in my life." Harry said seriously dropping the former subject. "I froze and I didn't know what to do." He admitted. "I want you teach me how to at least defend myself." He said looking straight at his father.

Albus looked at his son and was sad to see such a serious expression on one so young. He knew that part of his son's childhood innocence had been lost forever and he cursed himself for ever scheduling the damned detention in the first place. That was the last time he did anything to keep Argus happy.

"NO!" Minerva said firmly her face set in stone, leaving no hope for winning an argument.

"That's not fair!" Harry said. "This isn't about some skate board, this about my life. I need to learn to protect myself."

"I will not have my eleven year old son being trained. You are too young Harry. Your father and I won't let anything happen to you don't worry." Minerva said not even taking the idea into consideration.

Harry turned and faced his father but before he could even speak Albus shook his head negatively. "Even if I were to consider teaching you advanced defense I would not be able to. You are but a few months into your magical education and without a proper foundation to build from nothing on the scale of that which you want will ever be accomplished. My advice to you is to concentrate on school, once you take your OWL's I will give you the same chance I have offered to each of your brothers and your sister. You may learn from me or an assortment of masters from across the globe." Albus said to his son with an air of finality that made Harry want to pout but he knew that even though that trick still worked in some situations it wouldn't work here.

Instead Harry's mind took another train of thought. If all he had to do was pass his OWL's before he could be taught by his father he could be able to take them early. Maybe even earlier than Nathan had if he really tried. So far in school he had yet to put forth all his effort because everything was so easy. All the first year material came to him easily and the second and third year stuff he could usually do after a little practice. He had also learned how to do the summoning charm after only a week of effort and that was a fourth year charm. Making it work wandlessly had taken nearly a month but that was a completely different branch of magic.

"Can I take them early, like Nathan did?" He asked purposely looking at his father. He knew his mother hadn't really liked the idea of Nathan taking them early. She had been extremely proud but she hadn't wanted her baby to leave home so soon.

"When you feel you are ready to take them I will arrange everything, but you must realize Harry that your OWL's aren't something to take lightly. Those test scores will follow you for the rest of your life." Albus said seriously.

"I understand and I promise I won't jump into something I'm not prepared for." Harry said telling his parents exactly what they wanted to hear.

"That is exactly what I wanted to hear. Now swear to me you're serious." Albus said with a slightly teasing lilt to his voice.

Harry rolled his eyes and let himself smile slightly. "Only if you promise to stop keeping secrets from me." He said with a pleasant smile on face.

Albus frowned and raised an eyebrow at his son. "The only secrets we have kept from you are things that you are not ready to hear." He said.

"I'm not a baby. I can handle the truth." Harry said sulkily.

"If you want to know the truth then far be it from me to keep it from you." Minerva said glancing at her husband with a mischievous glint in her green eyes. "I'm sure either you or your year mates have noticed some changes lately. You may find yourself experiencing new feelings or having some more… risqué thoughts about members of the female sex. These feelings are completely normal."

Albus wanted to laugh at the expression on his sons face and if his wife's sparkling eyes were anything to go by she too was enjoying herself. Harry himself looked completely lost and Albus knew he probably was. Normally the boys in the school didn't start going through puberty until they were in second year.

"Now let me ask you a question, and I want you to be completely honest with me" Minerva continued. "Have you noticed any hair growth in places that it didn't grow before?"

Harry's face went red and he sputtered for a minute before a bright flash of light from across the hall captured the trios attention. "Oh Merlin the look on your face…" Nathan said before he fell back against the wall and started laughing. There was a camera sitting on his lap and Harry realized that Nathan had just got a picture of one of the most embarrassing moments of his life.

"Nathan what are you doing here?" Minerva asked sharply. Nathan didn't answer he was too busy laughing.

"How did you get past my wards?" Albus asked scratching his head in bemusement. He had felt no one approach and certainly hadn't seen his son there a moment ago.

"Easy." Nathan said still leaning back against the wall with a lazy smile on his face. "You cast them around me." Nathan smiled at the disapproving looks he got from his parents and the one of confusion from his younger brother.

"How come I didn't see you?" Harry asked looking at both of his parents. By the looks on their faces they already knew.

"I disillusioned myself." Nathan said looking at his brother with a grin and raised eye brows. Harry opened his mouth to ask more questions but Nathan answered them before he could ask them. "I'll teach it to you later."

"No you will not." Minerva said reminding her auburn haired son that he still hadn't explained why he was there.

"Nathan-" Albus started to say but Nathan cut him off.

"Harry's my brother I have every right to know what going on. You can't just barge in then run off with mum without me suspecting something. I am a Dumbledore we're made of smarter stuff then that." Nathan defended crossing his arms across his chest.

"And why did you feel the need to bring the camera?" Minerva asked feeling slightly exasperated.

"It was in my pocket from earlier." Nathan said simply, still smiling.

Albus rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed. "This conversation, as fascinating as it is in the sense of showing our family dynamics, is not helping matters. It is late and we all have things to be done tomorrow. I'll take Harry back to his dorm and tomorrow we can have a family meeting to answer all further questions." He said wearily.

"I agree with your father. Its past midnight and I'm exhausted." Minerva said. Nathan stood up and quickly crossed the hall to help his mother up. "I'm not crippled yet." Minerva said as Nathan held onto her arm firmly.

Nathan just smiled cheekily. "I'll take Harry to his dorm. I'm a teenager with an abundance of energy, unlike you two."

Albus smiled gratefully at his son as he and Harry too stood from their sitting positions. "Should I worry more about the two of you getting caught by Argus or the havoc you'll cause roaming around the school unattended?" Albus asked with a smile as he put one of his hands on the small of his wife's back.

Harry and Nathan looked at each other before Harry spoke to hi s father jokingly. "I hadn't really planned anything but I wouldn't want you to worry for nothing."

Albus and Minerva frowned at their son's internally wincing wondering what they would wake up to. "Be good and please don't do anything I'll have to fix." Minerva said forgetting to be her normal stern self.

"Anything for you mother dearest." Nathan said before putting his arm around Harry's shoulder and leading him in the opposite direction of Gryffindor Tower.

Albus and Minerva stood there watching as Nathan pulled out his wand and caused first Harry then himself to disappear. "At least they won't be caught. Imagine explaining that to the Board of Governors." Albus said looking slightly uneasy.

"I'm exhausted let's got o bed. This was not what I needed." Minerva said reminding Albus of why they had been there in the first place. His mood darkened immediately as he imagined his youngest facing Voldemort for the first time at eleven years old.

"Let's just hope it was a fluke and not a sign of what's to come." Albus said trying to sound hopeful but coming off sounding morbid.

"Lets." Minerva said with even less hope as both she and her husband turned and made their way up the spiral staircase and into their quarters.

Minerva woke up early the next morning to a cold bed and though she still felt tired got up knowing she would sleep no longer without Albus there to hold her. Without bothering to dress she threw a silky robe over her modest night gown that she had no memory of changing into.

She made her way to the drawing room of the apartments and found her husband sitting in an arm chair reading a stack of official looking documents.

"I had hoped you would sleep in." He said his eyes following her as she made her way straight to the sofa and immediately lay back down. He was still in the clothes he slept in, which consisted of a pair of sky blue and dark green tartan pajama pants and a matching pair of socks. Minerva thought he looked dashing as her eyes lingered on his firm chest longer then was truly necessary.

"I was cold and there was no one there to warm me." She said knowing she was being mean by making him feel guilty but she was hormonal and still tired.

"I'm sorry." Albus said. He put the parchment he was writing on down and got up from his chair.

"No go back to work. I know I've been distracting you lately and your behind." Minerva protested.

"How do you expect me to concentrate knowing that you are cold? I would drive myself to distraction and I wouldn't get a thing done until I knew I had warmed you sufficiently." Albus said before he wedged himself between Minerva and the sofa. He wandlessly summoned a blanket from their bedroom and covered the both of them. He buried his head in the crock of her neck and draped an arm around her and pulled her close t him. "Better?" he asked.

"Much. Thank you." Minerva said turning her head towards his. She tried to fight it but she had no energy to. She felt herself drifting off to sleep before they had been laying there for ten minutes. Albus too was swept off to sleep by the sound of his wife's deep even breathing.

"MUM!"

Minerva started from her sleep and blearily tried to sit up and focus on her environment. She could feel Albus beside her doing the same. "MUM!" the voice called again.

"What it the bloody hell? That's Lizzy." Albus stated needlessly his voice hoarse from sleep.

Minerva nodded sleepily. "Maybe if we're really quiet she won't find us." She suggested letting her sleepy brain get the best of her. She knew her daughter wasn't in any real danger. The yell had been more of an outraged 'I'm going to kill Evan' yell than an 'I'm in danger please help me' yell.

"I hope your right." Albus said burry his head once again in his wife's neck. "I had hoped when they moved out we would stop having to play mediator." He said as he pulled the blanket over both of their heads.

Before Minerva could tell her husband to shut up and go back to sleep the door opened from the room that held a private floo entrance. The room was rarely used and when it was used it was only used by family members or people who had been keyed into the wards. It was their way to move about as a family without being noticed by public eyes. The fireplace dated back to before the ministry was established so they didn't know of its existence therefore they had no way of monitoring it.

Their eldest burst into the room but neither Albus nor Minerva moved. There was silence for a few moments before Albus spoke in a staged whisper. "Do you think if we start getting randy she'd go away?" he asked his wife.

"Dad!" Lizzy said in an aggravated voice. "This is serious and you're too old to be 'randy'."

Albus lifted his head out from under the blanket and smiled at his only daughter. "Is that a challenge? For all you know your mother and I could be stark naked."

Lizzy's face lost all its color and she took a huge step backward so that she was almost out the door. "Oh Merlin, I… I'm… Sorry?" she stammered.

Minerva laughed from beneath blanket and regretfully poked her head out too. Her sleep tasseled hair did nothing but reassure her daughter that she had just walked in on her parents, every child's worst nightmare. "Well you've ruined the moment now so you might as well tell us why you're here." Minerva said playing along. Maybe if they scared their daughter enough she would think twice of coming to them every time Evan did something to bother her. Mean but very effective, it was how they had gotten the kids to never enter their bedroom without knocking first.

Lizzy looked like she was going to be sick. "No I uh think I'm going to leave."

Minerva couldn't help it and apparently neither could Albus as they both started to laugh loudly. Albus sat up and Lizzy looked like she wanted to run away, she even turned her head to the side and closed her eyes as she saw her father's bare chest emerge from beneath the blanket. Albus stood up and helped Minerva sit up and still their daughter had yet to open her eyes. "Lizzy we're not naked." Albus said, once he had sat down again, feeling bad for most likely scarring their daughter for life.

"Are you sure?" she asked with her eyes clenched shut.

"If I was I'm sure I would feel a bit more of a draft." Albus answered with a smile at his wife, who chuckled slightly.

Lizzy slowly opened her eyes then let out a great sigh of relief at seeing that her parents clothed. They were still in their night clothes and she couldn't blame them for that, it was still only half past seven. "That was cruel." She said as she entered the room and plopped down in the chair her father had vacated only an hour before.

"So was waking us up. Now we're even." Minerva said with a perfectly polite smile on her face.

Lizzy pouted and crossed her arms across her chest. She was wearing a simple pair of muggle jeans and a jumper. She would have looked completely muggle if it hadn't been for the fact that her wand was poking out from its holster on her wrist. Albus was about to ask his daughter what was wrong when she burst out. "I can't live with Evan any longer."

Minerva's eyebrows rose as did Albus's. "And why would that be?" Minerva asked.

"He's disgusting; I can't deal with him for a moment longer. He comes home from quidditch and he stinks then he comes home from auror training and he stinks even worse. That's not even the worst of it. He'll walk into the apartment and strip down to his boxers leaving his nasty clothes right there on the floor. Then he'll never pick them up and by the time I get home they'll have been festering and mum I think there are things growing in his room. I can't get rid of the smell either; our apartment permanently smells like nasty sweaty boy." Lizzy said all of this very quickly and almost as quickly Albus realized that this was one of those conversations he did not want to take part in.

Minerva's face lost its smile and it morphed into a face full of pity for her daughter. "I understand completely. Your father was the same way when we first moved in together."

"I was not." Albus protested.

"Yes you were dear, now be quiet." Minerva said not even looking at her husband, Albus scowled.

"I'm going to go do some paperwork." Albus said as he stood up. He really didn't want to hear his wife and daughter abusing the male sex.

Minerva looked up as Albus stood up before her. His short hair was sleep tussled but his eyes were bright and his body was smooth. Albus caught her staring and felt a rush of pride go straight to his ego that even after all of these years she was still attracted to him. He leaned down and gave her a quick his on the lips.

"I'll see you at breakfast." Minerva said.

"I can't wait." Albus said with a smile as he walked out of the drawing room headed towards the master bedroom.

Albus quickly made his way to his and Minerva's shared bedroom and once there ventured into his closet. To put it nicely his closet was a mess. There were robes and muggle clothes flung in every direction; most were hung up in disorder but some were just lying on the floor waiting for someone to put them away properly. He always told himself that he would organize his closet but he never got around to it.

He found a pair of black pants and a green button down shirt hanging conveniently near the entrance of the room. He grabbed them and a pair of black boxers and a pair of socks from a drawer. Finally he summoned a painfully bright neon green robe that was thrown on top of the clothes rack near the ceiling.

Feeling proud at his quick time, he usually spent at least fifteen minutes searching for something suitable to wear; he left the closet and headed towards the shower. Twenty minutes later he stepped into his office, his disguise firmly in place. He smirked to himself as he saw that already this morning he had terrified his daughter, conquered his closet, and taken a shower, all before breakfast even started.

He sat at his desk and put his feet up; it was time to read his morning correspondence. "Junk, junk, stalker, oh an invitation to a new sweet shop in Vienna, that looks promising." He muttered as he flipped through the piles of owls he had received over night. "Ministry, wedding, ministry, a Gal a, naked pictures, ministry, that one's cursed." It was usual for him to receive all sorts of mail, everything ranging from marriage proposals to death threats, and then of course there were all the letters from various ministry officials asking for advice. The only ones he normally responded to were from the ministry, the Wizengamot, and close friends, though he did occasionally accept an invitation to a sweet fair, but he did try to at least read all of the letters sent to him. For the most part good people had taken the time to tell him something and he tried to listen.

The open envelopes littered his desk as he displayed no order in the opening of his mail; everything he didn't need was in one big junk pile that accounted for several naked pictures of both men and women in various positions that did nothing for him, no one could compare to him wife, and all the various letters from everyday witches and wizards who wrote him for tens of thousands of reasons.

He felt his pants start to ride up and he tried to wiggle in his chair to fix the problem but it only made it worse. He lifted his robes to fix himself when the door opened.

"Albus, we have a…. problem?" Filius Flitwick said as he rushed into the room his small frame, his head only a foot above Albus's desk, looking windswept as if he had run to Albus office. The small professor stopped short as he took in the scene in front of him. He had always pictured Albus as a virtuous man, someone above pornographic images.

"Good morning Filius, one moment please." Albus said completely oblivious to his colleague's train of thought. "Let me just adjust myself." He said as he stood up and turned away from the shorter man. "Ahh that's fantastic." He said as he straightened his clothing out and stopped his boxers from riding up. "Now what's the problem Filius?" he asked as he turned around wondering what his sons had done. His father senses were going off telling him that it had been his son's who had caused whatever mischief was about in the castle.

Flitwick stared at his boss in a confused stupor wondering what had he just witnessed while hoping it wasn't what he thought. When he didn't answer Albus's question after a few minutes Albus asked him again jolting him out of his daze. "It's the Great Hall sir, there's something amiss." He answered with a shake of his head trying to clear it.

"As in?" Albus prompted.

"As in you simply must see it for yourself." The small professor said in a huff before walking out of the office, his mind in a daze.

Albus blinked and wondered what he had done to make Filius angry at him or possibly he was just angry about the situation in the Great Hall. He shrugged to himself and turned to where Fawkes was sleeping on his golden perch. "Want to go see what promises to be a huge headache?" he asked his familiar with a benign smile.

Fawkes opened both eyes and let out a chirp, which Albus understood to be an affirmative answer. Instead of spreading his wings and flying to Albus's shoulder the phoenix burst into a ball of flames and transported himself to Albus shoulder. "You are the laziest animal I have ever met. All you ever do is sleep and eat. I hope you get fat." Albus said childishly.

Fawkes snapped his beak, threateningly at Albus. "You're rude to." Albus said. He was rewarded with a sharp bite on his ear. "Ohh what'd you do that for?" he asked rubbing his now sore ear.

Fawkes gave him a sharp look then flapped his wings telling Albus to get going. "Like I said rude." Albus said in a huff but he did as was demanded of him and left the office.

He made his way down the spiral staircase and took a few short cuts to get him to the Great Hall in half the time it normally took him. Using the professor's entrance he walked in through a hardly noticeable that brought him right behind the head table. His eyes widened and a smile crept over his face as he took in the room. The normally grey and medieval stone walls seemed to have disappeared and in their place were walls of various and outrageously bright colors. Albus had never seen such a mismatch of clashing colors, he loved it.

The house tables had fared no better. They too were painted. The Slytherin table was painted a lush green and every few inches there were flowers springing to life. Albus had to bite down a laugh as he saw the nicest, cutest looking snake he had ever seen, it had big blue doe eyes and a smile, slithering through the mural his sons seemed to have painted.

The Ravenclaw table was painted hot pink and was covered in dancing books. Albus raised an eyebrow as he watched a book with long legs wearing a black garter belt dance circles around three other books wearing glasses. That had to be the work of Nathan, he knew Harry was still to innocent to have painted a scene like that.

The Hufflepuff table was painted a neon yellow with small teddy bears running to and fro. Occasionally they would hug or to Albus's surprise start snogging. There was one purple bear that was wearing a black mask and outfit and carrying a whip. The bear would occasionally flick its whip out so that it hit one of the nearby bears and that bear would automatically fall to its knees. Albus really needed to talk to Nathan about what was appropriate for him to be exposing to school children, not to mention how he knew of these things.

Next was the Gryffindor table which thankfully looked to be painted by Harry. There were gold lions running through a red background. Albus's was impressed with how life like his son had managed to make the lions look. If he looked at them it was like seeing a lion up close. He could see individual hairs in the lion's mains. Instead of being comical as the rest had been this one seemed to fill the viewer with a sense of pride. The proud lion ran majestically without any hesitation or fear. He was filled with house pride before reminding himself that he was the headmaster and as such he had to be impartial.

Lastly he looked upon the head table. The entire table was covered in comical renditions of each professor. Albus saw the cartoon that he supposed was supposed to represent him. It was a tall lanky stick figure with a white beard that was so long it dragged on the floor behind him. The little stick figure kept shoving brightly colored sweets in its mouth then it would run in circles until it collapsed. He frowned, he would never run while eating sweets. He might choke.

Looking around him he realized that while he had been observing his son's creativeness students and teachers alike had started to enter the hall. All of them were standing around looking unsure of what to do. Taking the initiative he sat down and started to pour himself a cup of tea. Everyone else followed his lead and sat down to enjoy their breakfast.

When Minerva entered the hall ten minutes later, looking anything but surprised, and took her seat next to her husband Albus was surprised that she didn't even show the faintest signs of being angry.

"I would have thought out of all the people who entered the hall this morning you would have been the most furious Professor McGonagall." He commented, as he fed a piece of bacon to Fawkes, making sure not to do anything that would even suggest they were anything but colleagues.

"For what?" She asked raising a perfectly manicured eyebrow. "I would never punish a student for displaying such creativity."

"Of course not." He said.

The other professors looked somewhat skeptical at McGonagall's lack of anger. "A fan of the arts, Minerva?" Professor Sinistra, the astronomy teacher said.

Before Minerva had the chance to answer Albus spoke up. "Not just a fan, a very talented contributor to the field." That got the attention of the rest f the staff members, except Snape who was not present as was his wont as of late.

"Really." Said Professor Sprout, the herbology teacher. "I had no idea, and I've known you for nearly thirty years."

Minerva glared at Albus for putting her in this position. This was the reason she never told anyone about her preference to art. They would all ask questions and some of the bolder staff members might ask for a look at some of her work.

Albus smiled in return. His wife hid so much from their colleagues in fear of letting something slip about their relationship, so much that even though they had worked with most of the staff for at least a decade they were almost strangers. There was also the fact that he thought, if it was possible, that Minerva was even more beautiful when she was angry. His attention was pulled from his wife when Fawkes head butted him bring him back to his sense.

"I paint." Minerva said simply hoping that all the questions would end there. They didn't.

"Psh" her supposedly best friend said from her left. "She's bloody brilliant. Her paintings could win awards. They could be hung in the finest museums." Rolanda said enthusiastically, loving that her formidable friend seemed uncomfortable.

"Can we see them?" Flitwick asked squeakily.

Minerva narrowed her eyes at him and he sat back in his chair so that he was no longer in direct eye sight of the Deputy Headmistress. He may have been an accomplished dueler but he knew better than to push Minerva McGonagall, she may have seemed prim and proper and above such things as duels but he knew that if she wanted to she could easily beat everyone sitting in this hall except Albus Dumbledore.

"There are actually quite a few of them hanging about the castle." Albus said. Minerva's head swiveled so fast it was a blur and she glared at him with all of her might. Albus had the decency to look somewhat ashamed of his actions but not much. "If you wish to see them I suggest you start looking." He said kindly but with an air of dismissal.

The rest of the staff table took this to be the end of the conversation and wisely started talking about the article in the prophet about the scandalous relationship between the head of department of magical transportation and one of his most senior employees. It was rumored that they would both be fired from their positions.

Harry lay on his bed reading '_Dip, Duck, and Dodge: An Introduction to Dueling Tactics' _by B.F. Springer. It was Saturday night, less than a day before he had the truth about Voldemort reveled to him. Not much had happened during the day. He had of course told the Fred and Goerge everything that had happened to him, though he didn't mention it to his other friends. To say they were surprised was an understatement, but they eventually got over their shock and had asked all sorts of questions. He had replied vaguely, not really wanting to think much about the encounter.

After all the serious talk of Voldemort their conversation had turned to the prank that was played on the Great Hall today. Harry had tried to keep a straight face while they speculated who had done it, but he failed and had started laughing when they suggested that it could have been Cedric Diggory. Then of course he had to explain how he and Nathan had free reign of the castle after his brother had taught him the disillusion charm. After promising to teach it to them he had left Gryffindor Tower and had gone to his parents quarters for the family meeting they had scheduled. The twins had told him to take his time that they would provide and alibi if he needed one.

He arrived at his parents quarters just in time for lunch, which was lucky because he had slept right through breakfast and he was starved. The meeting had turned out just as their family meeting always did. There was chaos, some yelling, and a lot of laughing. He got to tell Lizzy and Evan that Voldemort was still alive and he explained to everyone about how he came to meet him. Everyone had been interested in his story of the roses he had found and they had all paled when he told them in great detail of his first glimpse of Voldemort.

After talking about Voldemort for nearly an hour their conversation had turned to more pleasant things. Nathan had told Evan about the prank they had pulled the night before he had even produced several pictures. Unfortunately, for Harry, he showed everyone the picture of his face when his mother had been embarrassing him. Everyone had a good laugh and his mother had taken the picture and she told him she would keep it safe in a frame in their summer home. Harry hadn't been amused.

The twins had talked of work, which hadn't really changed. Lizzy was still learning under a certified medi-witch. She had yet to actually treat anyone. Evan had announced that he had started practicing with the first and second string players of the London Lions. He assured everyone that it was only a matter of time before he played in his first professional quidditch match.

Nathan didn't really have anything to contribute to the conversation since he had been home for the past month or so. The twins had commented on his change of dress style but he had just smiled and took it as a compliment.

The highlight of the meeting had been when his mother had looked at the twins and told them she was pregnant. Lizzy completely freaked out, her and his mother had gone off on a tangent about whether it was a boy or a girl and how they had to think of names. The men of the family had shared looks and it was unanimously decided that they wanted no part in the conversation.

Harry blinked and shook his head. If he wanted to be somewhat prepared the next time he faced Voldemort he had to concentrate. He shot a quick glance at his end table. The roses he had found were still in pristine condition. There wasn't even a sign of wilting. He was starting to wonder if they ever would. He tore his eyes away from the red fire like flower and focused on his book.

Albus was once again in his office doing paper work. Oh how he hated this part of his job. He had never been one for politics but it seemed as the years went by Hogwarts and the ministry became closer and closer. He couldn't remember ever reading anything about the ministry controlling the budget of the ancient school. Everything he had read had told him that the school was a privately owned institution that the ministry should have no say over. According to the original charter there should be no board of governors making decisions about the school.

He sighed and rubbed his temples. He didn't know what to do. He knew what the ministry was doing was wrong. They were taking money from the school for ministry business. Which meant tuition cost rose as the years went by. If everything kept going as it was it would soon be a school only the rich could afford. Albus knew he wouldn't let that happen even if he had to pay the tuition of the students who couldn't afford to attend himself. But as of right now there was nothing he could do without losing all of his political power, something he knew he would need in the coming years.

The wards around his office went off giving him a split second warning of an intruder. He shot up from his seat and had his wand drawn before the intruders port-key had finished its nanosecond journey. There was a crash as the person's port-key dropped them off five feet above Albus's desk. The man who had brown hair sprinkled with grey and a tall frame dropped like a rock to the hard and knick-knack covered desk that Albus had previously been working at.

The man was dressed in modern muggle clothes and a black cloak that made his dress suitable for either world. His face had a few wrinkles but not many. He was tall but not as tall as Albus but his body was bulkier than Albus, but he wasn't fat, Albus knew from experience that the man was made out of muscle.

He lowered his wand as he recognized the man's face, which was currently contorted in pain. "It's about time you stopped by." Albus said cheerfully to his mentor.

The man glared at Albus with honey eyes. "Help me up, I think something punctured my spine." The man said in a pained voice. Albus immediately gave the man his arm and helped him sit up. "Fuck that hurt." The man said rubbing his sore back. "Why is there so much shit on your desk?"

"I get easily bored and I have to entertain myself somehow." Albus answered truthfully.

"Huh." The man said thoughtfully. "I would have expected more form someone who outscored me on the OWL's and the NEWT's."

Albus shrugged. "It's good to see you again Nicolas."

"You too my boy. You look like shite, what's the matter?" Nicolas asked his former student.

"The ministry, Harry, Minerva, not to mention the school I'm supposed to be running." Albus said with a sigh.

"I can't do anything about the ministry, I have tried for several hundred years and they have yet to see reason, and I'm sorry to say you wanted to be headmaster, but I may be able to help with Harry and Minerva. What have they done now?" Nicolas said as he got gingerly off Albus's desk and stood leaning against the wall.

"Oh well Minerva's pregnant again and just yesterday my Harry met Voldemort in the forbidden forest." Albus said for once letting all his defenses come down. Nicolas had seen him at his worst and Albus knew that he didn't have to be strong for him; Nicolas was the one who had always been there for him. He was someone who Albus could tell all of his troubles to without having to worry about putting a burden on him.

"Really, another godchild for me to spoil. How wonderful!" Nicolas said enthusiastically.

"Nicolas, Minerva nearly died the last time she gave birth." Albus said seriously. "You know what happens to my family if that were to happen."

"Of course I do. I'm not an idiot but you don't give Minerva enough credit. I believe she'll pull through wonderfully. Especially with the advice that muggle doctor is giving you." Nicolas said with a wave of his hand.

"How did you know about that?" Albus asked suspiciously.

"A magician never tells my boy, you know that. And as for Harry, I'm assuming he escaped unscathed or I would have been notified, so no harm no foul. The boy finds out there's someone after his blood. He'll study harder and be more careful. I really can't see the problem with that. Isn't it what you as a parent should want?" Nicolas said as he scratched his head in confusion as if he didn't understand why Albus was worried.

"Of course I want him to do well in school and to be careful, but Nicolas he could have died." Albus said slightly hysterical.

"But he didn't." Nicolas said bluntly. "Don't dwell on the what if's Albus you'll drive yourself crazier than you already are." He said with a sympathetic look.

Albus sighed and sat back down in his chair. "You're right that I shouldn't worry so, but I fear that I cannot help it. What brings you to Hogwarts?" he asked with a tired look at his mentor. The man didn't look a day over thirty five, when in reality he was almost twenty times that.

"I have actually come to visit my godson." Nicolas said. "He sent me a letter telling me everything that happened between you two and I'm sorry to say that I only just received it yesterday. I've been exploring the Alps and before that I was in South America. Perenelle is nursing the poor bird back to health."

Albus shook his head at his mentor's odd travels. "What was it that you were looking for?" he asked with a smile.

Nicolas smiled mischievously. "An adventure." He said.

"Of course. Nathan is in his room. You haven't been here in a while are you sure you know where you're going?" Albus asked with a teasing smile and twinkling eyes.

"If I say no will you carry me there?" Nicolas asked smiling devilishly. Before Albus could retort Nicolas disappeared through the bookcase that divided the headmaster's office from the chambers he and his family lived in. Nicolas quickly and seriously made his way to Nathans bedroom. Luckily he didn't meet Minerva, so there was no one to hold him up.

He entered the room without knocking and found Nathan writing furiously in a notebook. There was loud music playing so the teenager didn't notice his godfather enter. Nicolas waved his hand and the music stopped. Nathan looked up and when he saw who it was he closed the book and stood up from his desk.

"Hello Nathan."

"Uncle Nick." Nathan said in greeting.

Nicolas entered the room fully and cast a silencing ward over the door. "I received your letter." Nicolas said and Nathan nodded seriously. "These are for you." He said as he handed him a jacket and a small hour glass on a long chain.

The jacket was faded grey and looked like an old army jacket, there were two small crossed wands stitched onto the right breast of the jacket. Nathan first took the chain and put it over his head and tucked it under his shirt. The jacket he tried on and was surprised when it was a perfect fit. He pulled out his wand and tapped the crossed wands with his. The jacket morphed into a long grey robe with a sweeping hood. All that you could see of Nathans face was a vague black shadow due to obscuring charms.

He tapped his right breast with his still drawn wand and the jacket returned to its former shape. "Does this mean what I think it means?" Nathan asked his godfather with a guarded face.

"Yes." Nicolas said with a small smile. "You know where to be, I shall see you on Monday." Nicolas said his face seemed sad. He turned to leave but changed his mind and instead crossed the room and gave his pseudo nephew a tight hug. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked into Nathans auburn hair.

Nathan looked into his godfathers eyes with a strong resolve. "I'm positive." He said strongly.

"It won't be easy" Nicolas pointed out.

"Nothing worthwhile is." Nathan said.

"You are wise beyond your years; I only wish you weren't in such a hurry to grow up. You are only young once." Nicolas said.

"I'll see you Monday morning." Nathan said.

"Adieu." Nicolas said before he vanished from the room without a sound.

Nathan stood in the middle of his room for some minutes staring at the spot his uncle/godfather had just vacated. He didn't move a muscle until a house elf popped into existence before him. "Dinner is served Little Master Nathan." The tiny creature said.

"Thank you." Nathan said. With a deep breath he stepped out of his room and headed to the dining room where his parents had promised to be. His father was at the head of the table and his mother was opposite to him. There were six chairs between them, three on each side of the table. He sat in the middle chair.

"New jacket dear?" Minerva asked her son.

Nathan felt his heart speed up slightly but he kept his face from showing any of his nerves. He smiled and made a show of admiring the sleeve. "Yea, I bought it in London last week. Do you like?" he asked his stomach twisting unpleasantly at the lie.

"It's lovely." Minerva said to her son.

Nathan smiled and turned his attention to his plate but suddenly found himself sick to his stomach. He spent the diner hour pushing food around on his plate barely able to take two bites, while his parents talked about work. His mum was angry at his dad for something he had done this morning at breakfast.

"Are you alright son?" Albus asked notice his sons slumped posture and untouched food.

"I don't feel so well, may I be excused." Nathan said.

"Of course." Minerva said. "You look peaky, go lie down I'll check in on you in a little while."

Nathan stood up hurriedly, his chair scrapping loudly against the hard wood floors. He practically ran to his bedroom and collapsed on his bed. He had lied to his parents before but never about something this serious and never about something this life impacting. This was how it was going to have to be. He was forbidden from telling them anything. He hadn't realized living a double life was going to be so hard and he hadn't even started yet. He wasn't sure if he could do this.

A little while later he heard his mother enter the room. He kept his eyes closed and his breathing even, she left after softly caressing his face. When the door shut a tear leaked down his face, things were never going to be the same.

Authors Note:

Hey peoples, what's good?

Took me a while to write this chapter not that the chapter gave me trouble, it's my hectic life. I'm in school full time and I work forty hours a week. I have a hard time finding time for homework and sleep, let alone writing, but I love it so I won't e giving up any time soon. I'm actually supposed to be writing a literary analysis paper right now, but I couldn't concentrate and I just finished this chapter last night and I kinda want to get it out there. So here it is!

Review me… please?

Peace,

Alisha


	20. Chapter 18

It was late. The Great Hall sat in an anticipated silence, their eyes all on the Headmaster. Albus looked out over the sea of children that were under his care and smiled, truthfully, as he watched the younger years and the older year's alike struggle to keep their heavy eyelids open. It was the last dinner most would have in Hogwarts for three weeks; nearly all of the children were going home for the winter holidays. There were only a handful of students that would remain in the castle for the break, even the majority of the Professors were leaving.

Albus sought his youngest son out of the sea of faces. Harry met his father stare and mouthed the words 'hurry up'. Albus smiled even wider. Harry had changed since his encounter with Voldemort. Nicolas had been right about Harry studying more, whenever Albus saw Harry he was engrossed in a book. He spent less time playing pranks with Fred and George and more time reading with Blaise and Daphne. The one thing he hadn't given up was playing football, which Albus was grateful for. Now since snow covered every conceivable outside surface on school grounds the children had taken to playing in enlarged abandoned classrooms. Albus was seriously considering turning one of the classrooms into a pitch, so they would stop getting dragged to his office by Filch.

Thoughts of Harry brought his other son to mind, Nathan. Albus had been worried when Nathan had started spending entire days away with his friend, Chris, but as Nathan hadn't dropped behind in his scheduled lessons Albus could find no fault in the visits. Even though he was rarely home Albus noticed that his son was incredibly gifted. They had lessons scheduled an hour every weeknight and two hours on Saturday morning. The more Albus taught the quicker Nathan seemed to be grasping the material; it had gotten to the point where Albus didn't think he was helping his son at all. Nathan seemed to already know half the things he was teaching, it was only when he taught his son advanced material that it seemed to be something new and even then Nathan mastered the spell or magical theory so quickly that before Albus could catch his breath they were on the next subject. Nathan was already well beyond the knowledge of a Hogwarts graduate in transfiguration, defense, and charms. It wouldn't be long before he could take his NEWT's, something which left Albus completely befuddled. Nathan had just finished his OWL's, he couldn't understand how he was ready for his NEWT's so quickly.

Albus felt the heel of his wife's boot stab his foot, bringing him forcefully back to the present. His smile became strained as pain shot through his foot, he had opted not to wear his heavy boots, thinking he had no need for them and instead wore a comfortable pair of loafers. They offered his poor foot no protection from his impatient and hormonal wife. He looked at her and she discreetly motioned for him to get on with it.

He stood up slowly and was amused when the scarce conversation around the Great Hall stopped immediately. "Good Evening children." He said with a genuinely bright smile and twinkling eyes. "Tonight is the last night that our rather large and somewhat diversified family shall be gathered for some time. I would like to take this time to wish everyone a very restful break and a joyous holiday. May you all return well fed, well loved, and happy." A smattering of applause broke out in the hall with Harry leading the clapping enthusiastically. "I believe I forgot to mention ready to learn." Albus said his eyes twinkling brightly. The clapping stopped almost immediately and the twins let out a series of long boos. They stopped when they saw the look Minerva was giving them over her glasses.

"Yes unfortunately this is a school and as such you as students are required to learn. Let us hope that it will not be too painful." Applause broke out again and Albus had to raise his hands for it to stop. "I realize that you are all extremely full and therefore tired but before we retire for the night I have one very serious announcement to make."The atmosphere of the hall changed as everyone leaned forward waiting to hear what serious information their headmaster, the most powerful wizard in the world, was going to tell them. "One of our own shall be leaving." Albus said this so solemnly that the first through third years who had been dosing in their plates lifted their heads and stared at him. "It is with a heavy heart that I must inform you that Professor McGonagall will not be here when you return from your holiday." Albus said as if he was speaking at a funeral.

The hall grew deathly quiet. Not a single person made a sound or even breathed by the sound of it. The wind outside could be heard as clearly as if they were standing out in the cold night instead of the warm castle. His announcement seemed to have struck them, he had never seen a hall so full so quiet. Without warning the hall exploded. It seemed as if everyone were trying to say something at once. Albus could hear various protests from every corner of the room, even the Slytherin's were protesting. The older years were on their feet, their faces the perfect picture of outrage. Minerva may have been a strict task master but her skill was renowned throughout the world. Some of the students in the school were sent to Hogwarts because of the reputation of the teachers, Minerva in particular. When the students would first enter the school they would fear Minerva that fear always grew into a profound respect and before the students left the school most of the students had developed a personal relationship with the transfiguration mistress.

Albus raised his arms to quiet the students but it had no effect whatsoever. Maybe he should have broken it to them easier. He looked back to his staff for help but they were all staring at him in shock, except Rolanda who was currently laughing hysterically at the faces of shock on everyone's faces. He probably should have told the staff beforehand. They were going to be so angry at him for blindsiding them.

He looked to his wife for help. She was sitting ramrod straight in her stiff wooden chair, her eyes fixed on a spot of the back wall of the Hall. Albus thought she looked slightly teary eyed, but he couldn't tell if it was just a trick of the light. Before Albus could verbalize his plea for help Minerva stood up quickly, drawing her wand in the process. With the flick of her wrist a bang went off like thunder. Immediately the hall was silenced, not only because of the sound but also because of the power that radiated off the strict professor. The power of her spell had been so great that all the professors and the students sitting closest to the staff table had felt their hair blowing as if an invisible wind had come rushing through the hall.

"I am touched at your… concern, but carrying on in such a manor will not be tolerated." Minerva said with a raised eyebrow and a stern frown. The students who had been yelling the loudest sat back down and lowered their heads. "I have been teaching at this institution since 1946, I have taught most of your parents, and some of your grandparents. I believe I am entitled to some well deserved time off. I am going on a two and half year sabbatical, I shall be back at Hogwarts at the beginning of the 1993 term." She said in a very matter of fact voice.

"To those of you who I will not be teaching again I would like to wish you luck." Minerva said addressing the upper years with a softer tone than before. "I know that each and every one of the students in this hall has the potential for greatness. I shall not disappear completely, so I expect all of you to work hard. If you do not I shall know it. I may not be your teacher any longer but that does not mean that I no longer care. If I hear of anyone wasting their potential believe me when I say there aren't enough spells in the department of mystery's to hide you. I am always available by owl if anyone needs to contact me about anything." Minerva paused in her impromptu speech and gazed out at the students much as her husband had earlier. She loved to teach, she loved watching her students struggle to complete an assignment, then seeing the pride and excitement on their faces when they finally mastered the spell. Her folded hands twitched towards her stomach before she gathered herself again. "I shall miss you all. Good Luck!" she ended with a sly smile taking years off her masked appearance.

"Thank you Professor McGonagall." Albus said as he stood up again, he had sat in order to give his wife the floor. "It would be wrong of me to keep you from your beds any longer, Good night children. I shall see you in the morning."

The benches scrapped along the floor as the children all stood and began leaving the hall chattering excitedly. There were many glances at the head table as the students all left for their dorms. When the last child had left and the massive wooden door closed with a soft thud Albus turned to his colleagues with a bright smile. "What a wonderful meal. The roasted chicken was particularly delectable." He said acting as if he hadn't just dropped a bomb shell. "Shall I walk you to your rooms?" he asked McGonagall extending a gentlemanly hand.

"Please do." Minerva said taking his hand quickly. Then before any of the staff could corner them, they practically ran out of the Great Hall through the teacher's private entrance, leaving their colleagues staring after them.

They burst into their quarters five minutes later; both of them were red faced from laughing. Before they were completely in the room they both shed their outer robes and Minerva let her hair down from its tight bun. "Oh Albus that was so cruel." Minerva giggled, actually giggled as she sat down slowly on the love seat. She was four weeks into her second trimester and lately when she moved to suddenly she felt dizzy, so she was trying to be careful.

Albus plopped right next to her, his face lit up with amusement. "I was nothing but honest." He insisted turning his head so that his blue eyes were boring into her green.

Minerva chose not to reply and instead changed the topic. "Now that I am officially done with work you need to get another room added to the quarters so that I can set up a nursery."

"I promise that after Christmas your room will be waiting for you, as long as you promise not to over exert yourself." Albus said still looking at her with his head resting against the back of the love seat. This was a conversation they had had many times.

"I promise I won't work too hard. I have four and a half months until I'm due and something has to keep me occupied. I'll go mad locked up in here." Minerva said

"You're not locked in here; you can go where ever you please. As long as you tell me, you have port-key, you're careful, you're disguised, and you're not gone too long." Albus said seriously.

"Exactly. I'm trapped in here." Minerva said with a huff.

"I'm sure that time will pass quickly. Before we realize it there will be another child in our household. One who screams, has to have nappies changed regularly, and has to be fed nearly continuously." Albus said slightly worried.

"It won't be that bad. We actually know what we're doing this time. Do you remember what it was like when the twins were born? We weren't ready for one child let alone two. I am eternally grateful that Lizzy and Evan were well behaved. Could you imagine us trying to raise twins like Fred and George Weasley? Molly deserves Sainthood." Minerva told her husband.

"More that that I would say. Order of Merlin First class, raising children is exceptionally more difficult than slaying dark lords." Albus said not in least joking.

"Should I write letter to the ministry informing them of their folly?" Minerva wondered with a grin.

"Right away. You shouldn't waste a minute." Albus agreed his eyes twinkling.

They were silent for a moment before Minerva once again spoke. "Do you know anything about Nathans friend Chris?"

Albus sighed and furrowed his brow. "No, I looked where I could without raising suspicion but his name came up nowhere. Which could mean nothing or everything." Albus said with frustration.

"I don't like that he's always out with someone we don't know. He's out after breakfast and doesn't get home until after dinner every night exhausted, sometimes he doesn't come home at all." Minerva said slightly angry, still remembering how she had waited up until nearly three in the morning for her son to come home only for him to never show.

"I wouldn't worry so if I knew the boy." Albus commented looking at Minerva.

Minerva raised an eyebrow. "Does that statement mean what I think it does?"

"Yes. I think we should invite him here. Tell him our secret. He and Nathan are obviously close friends and Nathan is a good judge of character. I would of course have Nathan obtain a wizards oath of secrecy first, but at least this way we would know." Albus said.

"We could give him a curfew." Minerva pointed out.

Albus snorted. "He's our child. Do you really think he'd comply with a curfew, when he hasn't fallen behind in his studies and he's done nothing to show us that he's behaving in anything other than a proper manner? For all we know they spend every day playing quidditch or reading books as is Nathans wont."

"I trust your judgment." Minerva said. "And it will be a relief to have finally met the boy who has monopolized our son's time."

Almost as if summoned Nathan walked into the door his face lit up with laughter. "Hello." He said cheerfully as he walked in and jumped on the couch.

"You seem to be in a cheery mood." Albus commented.

"Hmm. Oh me and Chris just turned all his father's advisors hair bright green. His dad thought it was hilarious and rewarded us for a prank well done with an invitation to a red carpet party he doesn't want to attend." Nathan said with a chuckle.

"Red carpet party?" Minerva said in confusion.

"Oh it's a muggle thing, where a bunch of rich and famous people show off how rich they are. We should be able to have a good laugh." Nathan explained to his mother.

"Sounds like a ministry gala." Albus said with a grimace, how he hated those.

"Pretty much." Nathan said as he adjusted a pillow beneath his head.

"Your father and I have been talking." Minerva said jumping right into the conversation. "And we have decided that we want to meet your friend Chris."

Nathans head jerked and he looked at his mother oddly. "Really?" he asked confusedly.

"Yes really." Albus said. "We are your parents and since you've been spending so much time with him we'd like to meet him."

Nathan raised his eyebrows. "Wow. That's pretty wicked of you. When do you want to meet him?"

"Whenever is convenient for him. You know our schedule and now that your mothers not teaching anytime is acceptable." Albus said.

Nathan waved his hand and the time and date appeared in front of him in smoky letters. It was currently nine nineteen in the evening. "How about now? He was going to some movie premier but I'm sure he'd rather come here."

Albus and Minerva exchanged looked before Minerva spoke. "That's fine, but before you bring him we have one request. We would like you to have him swear an oath of secrecy."

"Sure whatever, he's done stranger things before." Nathan said.

"Then it's decided. I'll create a port-key for you." Albus said.

"That'd be brilliant." Nathan said as he jumped up from the couch nearly bouncing with excitement. He had never been able to invite a friend to his house. Minerva smiled at her son's enthusiasm as Albus pulled a quill out of his pocket and tapped it once. It glowed blue for a moment then returned to its normal shade looking like nothing but a violently bright green writing utensil.

"The activation word is hullabaloo." Albus said as he handed it over to his son.

Nathan looked oddly at his father but decided not to question his father's twisted logic. "I'll be back in a few minutes." He said before he sprinted from the room.

"That was fast." Albus commented needlessly.

"Yes it was." She agreed. "What's a 'movie premier'?" she asked her husband.

"I haven't the foggiest." Albus said. He raised a hand and put it around Miners shoulder. "I thought of a name of today." He said with a silly smile on his face.

"Really." Minerva said her eyes lighting up with excitement. "What is it?"

"Abigail. I want our daughter to be named Abigail." Albus said proudly.

"What does it mean?" Minerva asked curiously. Albus always chose names that had a special meaning.

"Father in rejoice in Hebrew." Albus said with a smile.

"If we were going to have a girl I would say it was perfect but we're having a boy. I can feel it." Minerva said.

"I also thought of one for boy since you're so insistent that it's a boy." Albus said with a huff. Minerva looked at him expectantly. "I thought that Jace would be a good middle name, it means healing."

"Jace." Minerva repeated experimentally "I like it. Where did you find it?"

Albus smiled somewhat sheepishly and fished through his pocket. He retrieved a book and handed it to his wife.

"Every baby you'll ever need and more." Minerva read. She flipped open the book and took a looked inside. "This could be useful. It even gives the meaning and the origin of the name." Minerva said. "I had no idea they made books like this."

"I found it in a muggle maternity shop." Albus said.

"What else did you buy?" Minerva said knowing that her husband couldn't have restrained himself from buying nearly every toy the store had to offer. It was miracle that their children weren't spoiled rotten.

"Nothing much, just a few outfits and possible a toy or twelve." Albus said innocently.

Minerva gave him the evil eye and Albus smiled sheepishly. Before they could elaborate on their conversation Albus felt a port-key cross through the wards of the castle and less than a second later their son and another boy appeared right in front of them.

Albus was surprised at the grace with which both boys landed, there wasn't even a bobble in the boy's position. He pushed his surprise aside and studied his son's friend. The young man was obviously older than his son, possibly sixteen but was a medium height of about five ten. His hair was black and it hung in the boys face, the fringe was currently pushed aside and was long enough to reach his high cheek bones. His eyes were a dark stormy blue and if Albus wasn't mistaken the boy had black makeup around his eyes. His skin was pale and he sported a black lip ring on the right side of his lip.

Albus had never seen a boy with an odder fashion sense. He wore tight black pants with faded black sneakers and a belt that had silver studs on it. His shirt was a button up and once again black but with small white pinstripes. He wore a black vest and had a black jacket on top of everything else. Not to mention the black scarf and black gloves, that Albus didn't understand. Why wear gloves if you're going to cut half of them off and have your finger tips sticking out. All in all he was the oddest dressed boy he had ever seen.

"Hello your Nathans parents I assume, unless the port-key malfunctioned and I'm making an ass of myself by appearing in your living room uninvited?" the boy said before Albus or Minerva had even thought of saying something.

"Nope, we're in the right place. Chris I would like to introduce you to my parents Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall." Nathan said with a slight cackle at his friends slightly shocked face.

Chris blinked the blinked again. Then looking at Minerva said. "You are entirely too beautiful to be the Minerva McGonagall I have heard about. And you sir," he said looking at Albus. "Shouldn't you have a beard and some twisted fashion sense?"

Albus and Minerva finally shook themselves from their surprise at his appearance and stood. "I am indeed Albus Dumbledore but alas the beard is merely for show as are most of my outfits."

"Chris Jobs." Chris said sticking his hand out for Albus to shake. Albus notice the boy had a very strong grip.

"It's nice to finally meet you dear." Minerva said before leaning forward and giving Chris a chastise kiss on the cheek.

Chris stood there for a moment. "Are you sure you're Minerva McGonagall?" he asked with a smile.

"Quite certain." Minerva answered slightly bemused.

"I mean no offense but you are perhaps the most beautiful women I have ever seen. You don't look a day over thirty." Chris said with a charming smile.

Minerva raised an eyebrow at the young man, he was certainly out spoken. "Thank you, I think." Minerva said with a queer smile.

"Please have a seat." Albus said amiably only slightly bothered by the boys comment to his wife. He couldn't be angry because every time he saw Minerva he too noticed how beautiful she was.

Chris and Nathan both sat on the couch across from where Albus and Minerva were sitting. "So the interrogation begins." Chris said with a slight chuckle.

"I wouldn't call it an interrogation per say." Albus said with a grin. "Think of it as an opportunity for us to get to know you."

Chris snorted. "Will do el capitán." He said with a salute. "I figured this day would come sooner or later, I'm just surprised that Nate parents are people who are supposed to be old, kinda decrepit, not to mention celibate."

Both Minerva and Albus looked at their sons friend wondering if he had really said what they thought he did. "Chris." Nathan moaned. "Stop with the mental images, please there my parents."

Chris put his hands up to show his surrender. "I didn't mean to be so blunt about it. I was only commenting on how you seem to have the entire wizarding world tricked. Sweet deal, more power to you. If I could prank an entire society I'd do it in a heartbeat."

Albus cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. "If I may ask, how did you two come to meet?"

Nathan and Chris exchanged a look. Chris shrugged and turned to Albus. "It's actually kind of embarrassing but I won't lie. I took my fathers Lamborghini out for a night on the town in Italy, somewhere along the way I made it into a bar and got supremely sloshed. Next thing I knew I was out in some little village type looking thing, throwing up on Natie boys shoes. He decked me. I either passed out or he knocked me out. Fortunately Nate's a good guy and he didn't leave me out in the gutters. I woke up the next morning on his bed and treated him for breakfast. We've kind of been friends ever since."

"You were drinking?" Minerva asked looking slightly outraged.

"Excessively." Chris said not even attempting to look bashful.

"Where were your parents?" she asked color rising in her cheeks as she grew more and more animated.

"My mother was in a small cemetery in New York, she died during childbirth. My father was on a business trip, in Milan I think." Chris said the same smile he had had on his face all evening never once leaving his face.

Minerva's face immediately transformed from anger to a face Nathan immediately recognized as her worried mother face. "You poor dear."

"Could you call me something naughtier?" Chris quipped. Minerva's face immediately flared in anger and Albus's eyes narrowed. Chris seemed to realize they weren't happy with his statement and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry force of habit." He said only sounding slightly apologetic. Beside him Nathan shook his head in despair. This meeting was not starting off well.

"Since you asked the first question I get to ask the second." Chris said moving past the awkward moment. "How did the two of you meet?"

Albus looked at Minerva slightly confused, he hadn't anticipated answering any questions about their personal lives but he suppose it was only fair. "We met when I began teaching at Hogwarts. Minerva was my student."

"God it's like one of those really cliché por-, uh books." Chris said not even acknowledging what he had almost said; only Nathan understood, if the disturbed look on his face was any indicator. "I thought teacher student relationships were forbidden." He voiced out loud.

"They are." Minerva said looking at Chris almost daring him to say something.

"Are you sure your happily married?" he asked leaning forward towards Minerva.

Minerva let out a short burst of laughter. "I am very happily bonded." She said putting special emphasis on the word bonded. "But if I wasn't what makes you think I would be interested in you?" she asked curiously.

"Why my amazingly good looks and charming personality of course. Women are attracted to me, I can't help it. Call it animal magnetism." He said with a smug look on his face.

Nathan laughed outright, while Albus and Minerva tried to retain their smiles. "My turn for a question." Minerva said. "Where are you from originally? You have an accent but I don't recognize it."

"I was born in Manhattan- New York, but my dad always had important business so we travelled. I think my accent if from knowing s o many different languages." Chris explained simply.

"How many do you speak?" Albus asked curiously.

"I speak French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Dutch, of and I can sign." Chris said with a smug smile. "What's that eight, nine if you count signing."

"How many children do you have?" Chris asked curiously. Nate had never told him about his family but he doubted from some of the pictures on the walls that Nate was an only child.

"Four" Albus said at the same time Minerva said "Five".

"No offence but shouldn't you know how many children you have." Chris said with a small frown.

"We currently have four children our fifth is on her way." Albus said clearing up Chris's confusion.

"That makes sense." Chris said simply.

"Are you currently in school?" Minerva asked Chris.

"Nope. I've never been to school. I've had private tutors all my life."Chris said.

The questions continued for another hour but over time had evolved into a lively discussion that both of the teens and the adults were enjoying. Minerva, Albus, and Nathan were all trying to explain to a highly amused Chris about the home they had on the French coast. It was hard for him not to be amused as they talked over each other and did their best to describe to him something so wonderful it sounded as if it came from a fairy tale.

Their conversation was interrupted by a loud ringing that seemed to come from Chris. "Excuse me for a moment." Chris said politely as he stood and pulled out a curious device from his pant pocket. He walked a few feet away and held the strange box up his head and started speaking to it.

Both Albus and Minerva were somewhat confused, they spent time in the muggle world but not enough to keep up to date with all of the modern conveniences. "It's a mobile telephone." Nathan explained sensing his parents confusion.

"I thought those had to be connected to something." Minerva said.

"The normal ones do but these are a fairly new invention, they have only just become popular. They are powered by batteries and they use satellite signals to connect one phone to another." Nathan explained even though he was new to the concept and didn't quite understand it.

"Sorry about that it was my father." Chris said as he sat back down. He no longer had a cheery smile and the difference it made on his was startling. Nothing about him reminded Albus and Minerva of the good natured young man whom they had been getting to know instead he now looked furious and rather depressed.

"Is everything alright, you look upset?" Minerva asked her motherly instincts taking hold of her.

Chris face slid from angry and depressed to a carefully neutral expression. "My father has just informed me that he will be going on a spiritual retreat for the next month. He wishes you all a Merry Christmas." He said the last part bitterly.

"He's leaving you alone, for a month, for Christmas?" Albus asked completely confused.

"He says he has to cleanse his spirit." Chris said spitefully.

"Do you have anyone you can stay with?" Minerva asked with concern.

Chris blinked twice before answering the question. "We have a town house in London. That's where I usually stay."

"But who will take care of you. You're only sixteen you need someone to be there for you." Minerva said.

"No worries, I purchased a rather ambitious bunch of house elves when I was twelve. They keep my clothes clean and they feed me."Chris said with a wave of his hand.

Albus and Minerva shared a long and seemed to be communicating without words. "You're welcome to stay here." Albus offered transferring his intense blue eyes to his sons friend. "We have plenty of space and no one should be alone during the holidays, it's a time for family and friends."

"I appreciate the offer but I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. It gives me an excuse to throw a few parties and to drive his cars." Chris said his cheery personality firmly back in place.

"If you're sure, but you must come for Christmas dinner." Minerva leaving no room for argument.

Chris winked and said. "How could I resist such a tempting offer from a beautiful woman?" Minerva simply laughed, in the past hour she had become used to her son's friends constant flirting.

"I am sorry to break up this very enjoyable evening but I have piles of paperwork to complete and the night only grows later." Albus said truly sorry that he had other obligations that had to be completed before the morning.

"It was a pleasure to meet you sir." Chris said as he stood up to shake Albus's hand yet again.

"Likewise. I shall see soon I expect." Albus said. He gave Minerva a lingering kiss before he vanished through the bookshelf.

"Lucky bastard." Chris muttered. Nathan shook his head and Minerva arched an eyebrow.

"You are welcome to stay the night." Minerva said ignoring his previous comment. "Nathan I trust you will make your friend comfortable. As for myself I too have some things to get done before I retire so I must leave you. Please behave; I rather like having our quarters in one place." Minerva said with an impish smile.

"You wound me mother. Why I am the model child. What in the world gave you the impression that I should behave in any way other that the perfect gentleman?" Nathan asked in mock indignation.

"Years of experience." Minerva quipped. She stood from the loveseat slowly and for the first time Chris was able to see the slight bulge of her stomach. He stared unabashedly at where he knew a new life was slowly forming. "There is a fresh cake in the pantry, try and leave slice for your sugar craving mothers midnight snack." Minerva said then she too left the room.

The two friends were silent for a moment. "Dude your moms hot." Chris said breaking the silence. Nathan promptly threw a pillow at his friends head. "You're going down!" Chris declared as he jumped at Nathan.

When Albus walked in ten minutes later to fetch some correspondence from his private study he found the two boys in a tangle of limbs on the floor. As they were both wearing black he could barely tell where one boy ended and the other began. "Hello boys!" he said pleasantly standing over them with a smile on his face.

Chris immediately let go his hold of Nathan and would have stood if Nathan hadn't tackled him to the ground and put him in a headlock. Albus smiled as both boys forgot his presence and went back to their wrestling. "Please watch the furniture." He said as the boys bumped into the sofa pushing it back several inches.

"Sure dad." Nathans muffled voice said.

"If you want to avoid your mothers wrath at possibly breaking priceless antique artifacts, some that date back to the days of the founders I would take this match to the dueling chamber. There are mats there that are better suited for such exuberant activity." Albus warned the boys before he walked away and entered his study. When he returned to the drawing room a few moments late with several confidential documents under his arm the boys had stopped and were now lying on the floor with red faces. They smiled sheepishly at him and he was struck by how close they seemed to be. The way they traded looks or nudged each other's arm, even the smiles he got were almost identical. "If I may ask what spurred your match?" he asked curiously.

"I was defending my mother's honor." Nathan answered pompously.

Chris bumped him and said. "I only speak the truth."

Albus shook his head already understanding. "Good night boys. Shall I see you in the morning Christopher?" Albus asked.

"Yes sir, your lovely wife invited me to spend the night and the possibility of being in her presence for even a few more moments, was more than enough to incentive to make my decision." Chris said with a slightly teasing smile.

"Should I strengthen the silencing charms on the dueling chamber?" Albus asked his son though the comment was meant for Chris.

"You might have to sir, Nate here screams like a girl." Chris answered immediately.

Albus laughed at the unexpected retort and decided to leave before he witnessed something he might have to punish his son for. "Goodnight." He said again as he left the room.

"I do not scream like a girl. I seem to remember you crying like a school girl yesterday after I beat you in our duel." Nathan said with slight outrage.

"Shh." Chris said shooting a sharp look at his friend. "Walls have ears Nathan, nothing we do there gets discussed where it has even the slightest chance of being over heard. Not even in the comfort of your own home." There was no trace of his cheery personality as he reprimanded his friend. There was only seriousness so intense that his whole being radiated it.

Nathan hung his headed. "Sorry it's just I'm not used to having to keep secrets in my own home. I used to feel safe here but not so much anymore." He said sadly.

"It gets easier." Chris said to his friend. His face was sincere and his blue eyes held no lies that Nathan could detect. It gave him hope of an easier future. "Come on give me the tour" Chris said changing the subject abruptly.

"This is the drawing room and through that door is my dads office and that dark oak one over there is dads study. Those are basically off limits." Nathan said as he gestured to each door.

"Why does your dad need two offices?"Chris asked curiously.

"That one-" Nathan said pointing to the bookshelf/door. "is the Headmaster office. It's the one that is open to the public. The other is his private office where his more sensitive work is done."

Chris narrowed his eyes slightly and looked round the room before turning back to Nathan. "We're in Hogwarts." He stated somewhat surprised.

"Well, yes of course we are. Where did you think the Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress of a boarding school lived?" Nathan asked his friend.

"You grew up at Hogwarts?" Chris asked looking at his friend. "But yet you've never attended a class here. That's sadly ironic."

Nathan shrugged. "I couldn't my parents relationship must not become know to the world. That's why I made you swear a wizard's oath. If anyone were to find that they were together they would be ruined, they would lose everything they've worked for, and my brothers, my sister, and I would under threat of being attacked." Nathan said his blue eyes icy. "You must never tell anyone." Nathan ordered.

"Relax Nate. You are my friend and your family has accepted me with open arms. I don't betray people." Chris said just as seriously.

"Come on I'll show you the dueling chamber. It's marvelous." Nate said with excitement, happy to change the subject

It was getting late and Albus had still yet to come to bed, to put it lightly Minerva was annoyed. She was tired and her feet were cold and Albus wasn't here so of course she couldn't get comfortable. She got up from the window seat she had previously been sitting on and let her book drop to the floor. She was going to get Albus and drag his finely toned ass to bed.

She did remember that there was company so she donned a thick tartan dressing gown and tied it at the waist. She made her way out of her bedroom and on impulse she carefully opened her son's bedroom door. She was surprised to find him lying in bed awake with music playing. She would have thought he would be asleep by now but apparently not.

"Hi mum." He said looking at her as he waved his wand and made the song change.

"You should be sleeping." Minerva said.

Nathan smiled cheekily. "So should you, mother dearest."

Minerva smiled and entered his room fully. "Where's Chris?" she asked curious as to whether or not he would accept her offer.

"He's in the guest bedroom. The prospect of having you cook him breakfast was too good of an offer to turn down." Nate said with a roll of his eyes.

"That boy is… odd, but he is very charming." Minerva said as she sat on the edge of her sons bed.

"I may not like his comments about you but he is telling the truth, you are beautiful." Nate said sincerely. "What is it father says, a goddess among mere mortals."

Minerva smiled at her son. "Thank you." She said accepting the compliment. "Sleep well." She said. Then she gave him a soft kiss on the forehead.

"Good night, mum." Nate said as he adjusted his pillow. Minerva left the room knowing that her son would soon be asleep.

She crossed the hall and looked in on their house guest. Minerva bit down a smile as she saw him sprawled out on the large bed, one leg hanging over the edge and the blankets thrown on the floor. There was a little trail of drool dripping from his parted lips.

Without hesitating she entered the room and gathered the thick blankets in her arms and proceeded to gently tuck the young man in. As she cautiously moved his wayward leg onto the bed she wondered if anyone had ever done this for the boy before. A pang of sympathy shot through her as she stood and looked at the peacefully sleeping teenager.

She brushed his long hair from his face and gave him a kiss on the forehead, like she had her son. She adjusted the blankets once more and headed out the door.

"What no tongue?" Asked the gruff voice of her son's friend.

She turned and quickly quipped. "That's reserved for my husband." She should have known he would have noticed the soft kiss but not the moving of his leg.

"Lucky." Chris said as he smiled good naturedly at her with tired eyes.

"Good night Christopher." Minerva said with her hand on the door knob.

"Good night beautiful." He said mischievously. "Dream of me." He added with a grin. Minerva rolled her eyes and stepped through the threshold of the door. "Thank you for that." Chris said with a serious voice, stopping her exit.

"For what?" Minerva asked.

"That, what you just did. The first time I get tucked it's by an amazingly beautiful woman. I couldn't ask for a fonder memory." He explained as he put his hand under head.

Minerva smiled and decided not to comment on his flirting. "You are welcome." She said softly, and then she shut the door softly. She stood there for a moment to ponder Christophe Jobs. She felt her motherly instincts scream out at seeing how alone the boy was. What kind of parent leaves their child alone for a month at a time, over the holidays no less? From what she had seen he was a friendly young man, who did have some unsavory habits, drinking and partying, but what else could one expect when you leave a teenager alone to raise himself. She resolved that she would mother him as much as he would allow.

"Deep contemplations?" A welcome voice said from behind her.

"It's about time you came to bed, I was cold and I couldn't get comfortable." Minerva pouted. "And yes I was thinking deeply. That poor child has no one." Minerva said her voice changing immediately to one filled with anger.

"I'm sure we can rectify that." Albus said. "But before we make plans to on how best to smother him with motherly love lets go to bed. Starting tomorrow we have three weeks until school starts up again and I plan to use them to my full advantage." Albus put his arm around her waist and they made their way to the master bedroom.

"Tomorrow are you going to take the boys to find a Christmas tree?" Minerva asked curiously. It had been a tradition for Albus to take the boys into the forests surrounding McGonagall Manor to find the perfect Christmas tree while Minerva and Lizzy went out to do some last minute shopping, which usually wound up being a mother daughter shopping spree.

"Of course. I spoke with Evan and Lizzy they wanted to go pick Harry up from the train station. I told them I would ask your permission." Albus said. They entered their bedroom and Minerva took off her robe to reveal that all she was wearing was a small white night gown. She immediately climbed into their large bed and snuggled down under the thick and warm blankets. "It's no wonder your cold." Albus commented as he stripped off his clothing and put on a warm pair of flannel pajama pants.

"It's comfortable." Minerva said. "I don't see why they can't pick him up as long as they are careful."

Albus slid into bed and sought out his wife. Once they were settled into a comfortable position, they turned the lights off and resumed their conversation. "Do you think Christopher would come if I invited him?"

"I hope so. The boy is very independent; he acts as if he's never had a parent. Which I'm inclined to believe." Minerva said then went on to explain how he had thanked her for something as simple as being tucked in. "If no one has ever tucked the boy in, what other things could he have missed out on?"

Albus took a deep breath and nuzzled into his wife's neck. "I'm not sure, but I do feel bad for the boy. He's Nathan first real friend and I like the boy. I don't understand how a parent can behave like that. How muddled does ones priorities have to be to leave your flesh and blood alone like that. It's mind boggling."

"I don't understand it either but there is nothing we can do. Let's talk about it more tomorrow. Right now I just want to sleep. I'm exhausted." Minerva said as she smothered a yawn.

"Goodnight love." Albus said. He gave her a loving kiss then quickly drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

"Any one wanna play snap?" Seamus asked in a bored voice.

Harry grunted in a negative way. He was currently on the train that was taking to all the students who were going home for the holidays to platform nine and three quarters. The train ride was to put it lightly extremely boring. Sure it was nice to see his friends all in one group for an extended period of time but there was nothing to do. He was hanging upside down on one of the chairs trying to read a book on defensive strategy. It wasn't holding his attention, all he wanted was to get home so he could enjoy his holiday.

Daphne and Blaise were similarly engrossed in books, though they were in more dignified positions. Seamus had tried various ways to keep himself occupied but all of them had fail and he had resorted to playing catch with Harry's football. Fred and George had stayed at the castle because their family was going to Romania to visit one of his older brothers. Harry had promise to ask if they could visit his families quarters during the holiday break.

Thankfully they were at least halfway to the platform. Giving up on his book he threw it aside and pulled his shrunken trunk out of his pocket. He put the book inside on a pile of assorted sports equipment and pulled out the one and only cure for boredom this severe. His comic book collection. Nothing else could hold the attention of this eleven year old in such rapt attention for an extended period of time.

For the next two hours he lost himself in the adventures of some of his favorite super heroes. He was pleasantly surprised when the train started to slow and he hadn't even noticed they were approaching the station.

He quickly threw his collection back in his trunk, shrunk his trunk, and hastily stowed it in his pocket. His friends were all ready to go and had been for a while. They said a hasty good with vague promises to write over the holiday. Then they all ran towards the doors. It was every man for himself as everyone rushed to get off the train. Unfortunately he was a first year and although he was tall for his age group he was no match for the upper years. The only plus was that he didn't have a bulky trunk to cart around.

Once off the train he pulled a black hat on and rushed towards the exit. No one thankfully recognized him and he exited without causing a scene. Once through the barrier he looked for his parents. There for he was surprised that before he had spotted anyone he was lifted into a strong hug.

"Harry." He heard two voices shout out.

A huge smile nearly spit his face in half as he recognized the twins. He twisted so that he could hug Evan back while Lizzy attacked him from behind. Once he had hugged his brother he jumped as best he could so that he could hug his sister. It wasn't one of his better ideas. He forgot for a moment that he wasn't five years old anymore and that Lizzy was rather thin. She had no chance of supporting him. They all fell to the ground in a laughing heap of limbs.

"Hello." Harry said with a cheeky smile. He was sprawled across the both of them.

"Move along you's, your blockin the way." An amused voice said from above them.

The three Dumbledore children looked up into the face of an amused looking security guard. "Sorry." Evan said hastily as he stood. With one arm he lifted Harry up and with the other he helped his sister.

"That's fine. Have a happy holiday." The guard said satisfied that they were no longer blocking the way.

"You too. Thank you sir." Lizzy called after the guard who had started to walk away. "It's so good to see you Harry." Harry just smiled brightly. He felt like he hadn't seen his brother and sister forever and he had missed them terribly.

"Come on. Dad gave me a port-key but we can't use it until we're out of the station."Evan said. Before Harry could start walking to where he thought the exit was Evan picked him up from behind and settled him on his shoulders.

"Hey!" Harry said as he was lifted but decided not to protest. From up here he could see everything and he hadn't been given a ride like this since before Evan and Lizzy had moved to their own apartment. They made their way smoothly out of the station with the exception of one near fall on Harry's part. He leaned over to try and give his sister a kiss and had almost made Evan loose his balance. Lizzy thought the entire thing was hilarious.

They activated the port-key once they were sure no one was around and they landed, amazingly with Harry still on Evan shoulders, in a spacious room that was empty with the exception of a large marble fireplace that was intricately carved.

"Come on lets go find mum." Lizzy said in an excited voice. Harry and Evan shared a look. They both knew what she was so excited about, shopping. They couldn't understand how she and their mother could do nothing but shop for hours on end without getting bored or at least buying a broomstick.

Evan put Harry on the ground again and they followed Lizzy out into the drawing room where both their parents were along with Nathan and someone Harry didn't recognize.

"Ah here they are." Albus said as he stood to greet his children everyone else in the room followed his lead and for the next few minutes Harry hugged everyone at least twice. Once the family had thoroughly greeted one another everyone migrated back to where they had been sitting. Harry being the youngest and smallest winded up sitting squeezed between his parents on the love seat.

"Harry this is Christopher Jobs." Nathan introduced. Harry's eyes turned to the so far silent teen. He was wearing all black and had black hair but he had a friendly grin that seemed permanently etched on his face. Harry was unsure how he felt about him. Over the past month and a half he had learned to be more cautious.

"Hello." Harry said simply as he wondered why the young man was here. It wasn't normal for him to find people he didn't know interacting with his family and he didn't look like someone his father would have business dealings with.

"It's nice to finally put a face to a name. Nate here spouts something off about you every other minute." The boy said smile never leaving his face.

"You're Nate's friend?" Harry asked slightly confused. Since when were they allowed to bring friends into their family fold and who was this boy whom everyone seemed at ease around? The twins didn't look at all surprised so they must have already met him.

"Uh huh." Chris said as he sat slouched in his chair with casual elegance that wasn't easy to project.

"Are we going?" Nathan asked Albus, interrupting Harry from studying this unknown element.

"Going where?" he asked turning to his father.

Albus smiled widely. "You haven't forgotten have you? It's time for us men to brave the fierce wilderness and appropriate a tree worthy of our household." Albus said in a high pompous voice.

Evan, Nathan, and Harry all puffed out their chests as one. "Yes sir, commander, father, sir." They said as one complete with a salute. They girls laughed outright and Chris looked at the family strangely.

"At ease troops." Albus said with his pompous voice. "Go and get outfitted. I expect you back in no less than fifteen minutes. Last to report is furthermore known as… Private Slowpoke."

The boys rushed off with smiles on their faces, Harry was in the lead. Nathan grabbed his friends arm and dragged him out of the drawing room.

Albus turned to his wife and then his daughter. "Would I be correct in saying that you will have no trouble finding ways to amuse yourselves?" He asked with an indulgent smile.

"You would be correct father." Lizzy said then looked at her mother and smiled excitedly.

"We have decided to try something new this year." Minerva said, her eyes shining with excitement.

"Really, what would that be?" Albus asked curiously. He had heard nothing of this decision which was odd as he and Minerva had the hardest time keeping even the slightest secret from one another.

"We're going to a spa in Greece." Lizzy said. "They do pedicures, facials, and full body massages." She said with enthusiasm.

Albus frowned at the full body massage. Except for the roar of jealously that he quickly squashed he had no problem with the thought of his wife getting a massage, but he also knew that Minerva, like him, did not like to be touched intimately by anyone other than he. He knew how her heart raced and her mind panicked. He looked at her oddly but knew better than to say anything in front of her daughter. It wasn't that it was a secret it was just something private between the two of them.

Minerva felt his confusion and shot him a look. He understood. It took only a split second, but he knew that she had no desire for someone to massage her and that the outing was more for his daughters benefit than her own.

From down the hall a stampede of feet could be heard and into the room shot Harry with Evan closely followed. They were both dressed in heavy winter cloaks, water protective pants, thick boots, and woolly hats and gloves.

Their eyes scanned the room looking for their brother and his friend. Seeing that they weren't present they gave sighs of relief. Harry's sigh was looked particularly relieved, he had been known named the slow one for the previous three years.

Albus was glad to see his youngest son so light hearted. For the past month and a half they only time he had seen his son let go of his inhibitions was when he played football and even then he was filled with fierce intensity and competition, instead of the light heartedness he had carried before he had left for school in September.

"Well down men." He said in his pompous military commanders' voice, one he had actually picked up from someone he had met while meeting with muggle intelligence in the war with Grindelwald. "Fastest time yet."

"I laid my clothes out before hand." Evan said with a cheeky grin.

"Cheater." Harry said looking up at his brother with shinning eyes.

"It's called intelligence little brother." Evan said superiorly then pulled the hat off his brothers head. Harry tried to reach his hat but Evan was seven years older than he and much taller.

"Evan." Minerva said drawing the older boys attention away from his little brother.

"Yes mother." Evan said sweetly. Harry used the distraction to his advantage and climbed up onto a nearby chair.

"Watch out." She said with an impish grin. Before Evan could understand her warning Harry leapt from the chair and tackled his brother to the ground. Harry landed on top of him and snatched the hat out of his hands.

"Oww." Evan said. "You are not light Harry and that hurt."

"Good." Harry said cheekily. He sprung up from his brother before the older boy could take his hat back or worse and tried to run for cover by his mother. He got half way across the room when he felt something grab his ankle then pull him across the floor. He looked up as he was being pulled toward his brother, and saw his brother was still on the floor by had his wand out and was smirking victoriously. "No fair." Harry yelled out as he reached his brother.

Evan smirked mischievously then attacked. Harry screeched in a very unmanly way as his brother pulled his jacket aside and started tickling him without mercy. "Mum…Dad… Help! Please." He gasped out.

Minerva leaned forward to go help he son, but before she could start to get up off the chair she felt the bump over her midsection. She stopped and sat back with a sigh.

Albus noticed. "Shall I take your place, my dear?" he asked over the screeched please of their youngest son.

Minerva smiled. "Please do. Harry's known for his kicks. We wouldn't want Evan to get hurt." She said loud enough for both Evan and Harry to hear.

Evan laughed his best evil laugh and continued his unrelenting torture of his brother, while Harry let out a long, drawn out "Noooo!"

Albus smiled and joined his sons on the floor. With some careful maneuvering he grabbed both his sons legs and pinned them to the floor. He was surprised when he looked up and saw his daughter on the other side of Harry with his arms pinned to the floor. She gave him a shrug that said why not.

"We leave you alone for what ten minutes and you turn into rabid animals." Nathan said from the doorway. Albus looked up fully intending to say something cheeky but in his distraction he let one of Harry's legs go. Before he could verbalize anything he felt his world explode in pain.

He let out a grunt of pain and fell over, his hands instinctively reaching for his injured member. His vision went black and he saw stars. Everyone around him stopped. "Oww." He breathed out from his cradled position on the floor.

"Are you alright, dad?" Lizzy asked with concern.

"I'll be ok. He just knocked the wind out of me." Albus said, pain lacing his voice. He rolled over so that he was on his knees, with one hand cupping his family jewels.

"Let me see, he could have broken a rib." Lizzy said in a no nonsense voice. Harry's face fell and he looked as if he might cry.

"I'm ok, Harry." Albus assured his son with a forced smile. "Not that I doubt your medical prowess Lizzy, but I think this is a job for your mother." Lizzy turned bright red and the boys in the room all winced in sympathy as they realized where exactly their brother had kicked their father.

"Can you walk Albus?" Minerva asked as she slowly stood from her chair.

"I can try, but I really don't want to." Albus said with humor despite the pain that radiated throughout his body. He flipped over so that he was sitting with his back against the chair. "Please remind me to stay away from Harry when he has boots on." He commented with a wry grin. The boys winced again and Harry's face fell further.

"Could you give us moment please?" Minerva said to her children. The children cleared out of the room in seconds. Before he left Harry gave his father a quick hug. Albus tried not to wince as Harry kneed him in the process. "He just got you again didn't he?" Minerva asked trying to conceal her laughter. It didn't work nearly as well as she would have hoped.

Albus let out a long breath and said "yes" in a strained voice.

Minerva shook her head and knelt next to her husband. She waved her wand and both her husband's pants and boxers were pulled down to his knees. "I usually really enjoy that spell." Albus said.

"Oh my." Minerva commented. "I don't believe I've ever seen you this particular shade of red before."

"Is it that bad?" Albus asked looking at his wife with uncertainty.

"I don't know. It looks like he did permanent damage. You might never be the same." Minerva said with a serious voice.

"What?" Albus yelped. This time there was true fear in his eyes.

Minerva started to laugh. "I'm only having a go at you, dear. You'll be fine." She said with shining eyes.

Albus let his head fall back. "This is a serious matter. I think my heart skipped a beat or four."

Minerva rolled her eyes and waved her wand in a complicated manner. Albus face immediately relaxed. "You have my never ending gratitude, my dear. Thank you." He said sincerely.

"I'll take advantage of that later." Minerva said with a smirk. She gave him a deep kiss then rose from her position on the floor. "Get dressed, the boys are getting restless." She said.

"That was a tease." Albus said as he followed her command. He fixed himself and stood without any discomfort.

"Think of it as a promise of what's to come." Minerva said wickedly. The door opened gently with a wandless spell from Minerva and children, who had all been lined up outside the door pilled in.

"I'll keep that in mind." Albus said with a smile.

"Alright?" Evan asked.

"Better than ever." Albus said. "Are we ready?" he asked. The boys all nodded and Lizzy shared a look with her mother. "Good I have a port-key." He said as he pulled a simple metal ring from his pocket. The boys all stepped forward.

"Have a nice day and please have fun." Albus said looking at his wife.

"Please try to keep everyone in one piece." Minerva said with a smile.

"I shall try." Albus said. He leaned towards her and put his hand on her stomach and gave her a quick kiss. They stared at one another and Albus's hand lingered. Albus blinked as he realized they weren't alone and the moment broke. "Everyone grab a hold, tightly now." He said returning back to reality.

Minerva too shook herself. "Have fun boys." She said smiling at her children and Chris.

"Bring back a big tree this time." Lizzy said in a teasing voice.

They boys all waved or said their goodbye then grabbed the port-key. With a muttered 'crayola' they were gone.

Minerva turned to her daughter and smiled. "Who should I be today?" she asked.

Their port-key landed in the garage of McGonagall manor. Harry almost fell over but both his father and Nathan grabbed him to make sure he didn't. "You'll get it eventually." Nathan assured him.

"Yea, when I'm as old as Uncle Nick." Harry replied.

"Alright. You heard your sister. She wants a big tree. So let's go find the biggest tree in this forest. If we have to expand the ceilings it's no matter." Albus said with twinkling eyes.

"Yes sir." The boys shouted then they rushed to the door. Albus made to follow them but he realized Chris was still standing where he had landed. His eyes were fixed on the Porsche next to him.

"Are you a fan of automobiles?" he asked.

"Yes, most people call them cars though." Chris said. "You have nice taste." He said finally tearing his eyes away from the beautiful muggle creation.

"If you're lucky I'll let you take it out for a ride this spring." Albus offered. Chris nodded then started towards the door. Albus followed him.

Once outside he saw his sons had barely made it ten feet. "I think we might have a problem." Nathan said needlessly. The ground was covered in snow, not a little bit either. Harry was struggling to walk with snow that was above his knees.

"We can take the snowmobiles." Evan said. "Harry will have to ride with dad, but we should be fine."

"Capital idea." Nathan said with a cheesy smile and a roll of his eyes.

"Why don't you and Nathan get them ready and bring them out. Harry and I will show Christopher around." Albus said.

Evan and Nathan agreed and left almost immediately leaving Harry, Chris, and Albus alone.

"So where are we?" Chris asked breaking the silence.

"This is McGonagall Manor, in Scotland." Albus answered with a smile.

"It's nice. Lots of uh, trees." Chris observed.

"It's great for riding and camping." Harry added.

"Are there any neighbors?" Chris asked.

"No. The closets living soul, from my knowledge, lives in a small village about forty miles from here."

"Sweet." Chris said. There was silence for a few moments until they heard a roar of an engine from the distance. "How is it that you make port-key without the ministry knowing?" Chris asked. It had been bothering him since last night. Usually Port-key regulation was very strict and he couldn't imagine the ministry allowing someone to create them at will.

Albus frowned a little. "The ministry granted me a license, during the war with Grindelwald. Because of the nature of my work at the time none of the port-keys had to be registered. My license was never revoked. Personally I believe they forgot all about it but" Albus said the last part with a shrug and a somewhat roguish grin. "Who am I to tell the ministry how to do their jobs?"

"No offence to your ministry but I have heard nothing good about them and I personally feel they give you entirely too much power." He said with a contemplative frown.

"I am but one man. No one else seems to realize that." Albus said. "I concur with your opinion of our ministry, they are too blindsided by power. Years ago they put me on some sort of pedestal and no matter how I try I cannot seem to get down."

There was a roar of an engine and Evan and Nathan came into view. Each was riding on a snowmobile that they had uncovered from a small, small by the houses standards, outpost some ways off the main building.

They stopped short of the group and climbed off the machines. "We'll be right back with Helmets and such." Evan said before he and Nathan worked their way across the snow covered grounds again.

"These are for us I believe." Albus said. "I don't believe I asked but do you know how to operate one of these machines?" Albus asked Chris.

"Yea. My father has a house in the Rocky Mountains. I've spent more than my fair share with these things." Chris answered.

"If it wasn't for my son's I doubt I would have ever come across them but they have become vital to our hunt for the perfect Christmas tree. When the children were small I used to walk through the forest searching for a tree. It is not easy." Albus said with a fond smile. Then he walked through the snow until he was the machine which was idling quietly.

Harry immediately followed his father, being careful to step in his father's foot prints. This way he wouldn't get buried in the snow. "Can I steer?" Harry asked his father with a hopeful little smile that made him look like he was four years old again.

Albus's first response was an immediate 'no', but he knew that he had no justifiable reason to do so. Harry no matter how small he might be in Albus's mind was growing up. Harry had been the baby of the family for the past ten years and to Albus he still was his little boy. It was hard for him to let that go. "Only if you're careful." Albus answered.

In the distance there were twin roars of engines signaling that Evan and Nathan were coming. Sure enough not two minutes later they were parked right next to Albus, Chris and Harry.

Without warning they threw helmets at Albus and Chris. Both man and boy caught the helmets and wasted no time in putting them on.

"Sorry Harry, but you'll have to make do." Evan said with a chuckle as he threw a bright pink helmet towards him. Harry's face fell into one of disgust.

"This is Lizzy's helmet." He said needlessly.

"Yup. It's the only one left." Evan said with a grin.

"No way!" Harry protested holding the helmet as far away from him as possible.

Albus rolled his eyes and with a wave of his hand the helmet was black like the other. "Is that better?" he asked his youngest.

"Much thank you." Harry said. He immediately put the helmet on his head and climbed onto the snowmobile in front of his father. He didn't notice that as soon as the helmet was back on his head it turned pink once more.

"Ready men?" Albus asked. All the boys nodded, their helmets helping to hide their smiles and sniggers. Evan pulled away first and the rest of their group followed him into the looming forest.

The days before Christmas seemed to melt away quickly and before anyone realized it, it was Christmas morning.

Nathan and Harry were the first to wake. They ran into in the hallway outside their bedrooms. There were no words needed. With matching devious grins they headed towards the twins room. They had opted to sleep home for their respected Christmas breaks and had been home for the past four days.

They burst into the twin's room with load cries of Happy Christmas. Nathan launched himself onto Evans bed while Harry did the same to Lizzy.

Evan woke up immediately; he loved Christmas and was usually up before everyone. Lizzy was a different story.

"Go way." She mumbled and tried to push Harry off her bed. Harry avoided her and tried to pull the blanket away from his sister. He succeed for a moment but before he could try and drag her from the bed she hooked her arm around his waist and drug him into the soft mattress, then pulled the blanket over both of their heads.

Harry wiggled around trying to break free from his sisters vice-like grip but failed. "Lizzy." He moaned. "It's Christmas, get up."

"No." Lizzy pouted. "Sleep." She whined.

Harry could hear his brother laughing behind him. Not knowing what else to do he pulled out his secret weapon. His sister just so happened to be extremely ticklish. "You have left me no choice." He said gravely. Lizzy grunted but didn't answer him.

Ten seconds later she started shrieking as Harry attacked her ribs. He felt the blanket get pulled away from he and his sister and before he knew how it happened he and his brothers were all attacking his defenseless sister.

"Mercy!... Mercy." She shrieked and the boys all stopped.

"Will you get up?" Evan asked hands poised ready for another attack.

Lizzy's green eyes were open and she was currently glaring at her brothers. "Yes." She said reluctantly.

"Good." Nathan said. Before she could think twice Evan and Nathan lifted her out of bed and set her gently on her feet. Her clothes were disheveled and her hair was a mess.

"Can I at least get dressed?" she asked.

"Nope." Evan answered smiling sweetly at his twin.

"Now we have to go wake mum and dad." Harry continued for his brother.

They drug Lizzy out of the room only letting her have one brief glance at her inviting bed, before they all made their way to their parent's bedroom. Once in front of the door they all stopped. Futilely they listened for any sign of life, despite the silencing charms they knew were surrounding the room.

"I nominate Harry." Lizzy said immediately.

"I second that motion." Evan said almost as quickly.

"I third it. That's the majority. Go on little brother." Nathan said pushing Harry towards the door.

Harry looked at his siblings and jutted out his bottom lip. "Why is it always me?" he whined. Since the start of his holiday he had been feeling much younger than he actually was. It had something to do with being around his family who had always treated him like the baby.

"Because you are the youngest and as such you're the least likely for mum and dad to get mad at." Evan explained logically.

"Just pout or give them puppy dog eyes and all will be forgiven." Lizzy said as she swished her auburn hair over her shoulder.

Harry took a deep breath and stood up straight. "If I die... keep your grubby hands off my stuff." He said not looking at anything but the door that led to his parents' room. Behind him Nathan and Evan snorted.

Cautiously he reached out and opened the door. His parents room was large and luxurious. The main object of their room was a large four post bed with a large head board that had several Celtic myths carved into it. Minerva used to tell Harry the myths when he had nightmares as a child. The bed was centuries old and had been in her family for nearly ten generations.

There were three doors. Two lead to separate closets and one lead to a bathroom that Harry was extremely jealous of. It was hand crafted over a thousand years ago for the founders. The bath tub was huge and could fit four people easily. There were more soaps and oils on tap than Harry could memorize in a year as each consecutive Headmaster had attributed his/her favorite to the tub. In addition there was a huge shower that to Harry seemed like bathing in a water fall. But that wasn't the reason the bathroom was so special. It was special because each tile had been hand carved to depict the building of the school. His parents bathroom was a history buffs havens as there were no surviving books that accounted for the process. He loved it in there.

The door opened completely and Harry was relieved to see that his parents were still sleeping soundly. His mother was wrapped tightly in his father's arms and they were both breathing deeply. Instead of imitating a human cannon ball as he had with Lizzy he cautiously walked into the room and climbed onto the massive bed.

His mother moaned slightly and opened her eyes. There was Harry crawling towards her and behind him she could see her other children waiting in the doorway. She waved her hand slightly and the numbers 5:53 appeared before her. "Too early." She mumbled.

Harry crawled towards her so that he was close enough to smell her lavender soap. He opened his mouth to plead with his mother about depriving poor children from their Christmas gifts when his father's hand shot out and pulled him into a lying position by the waist band of his pants. For the second time that morning he found himself a prisoner of someone else's bed. But instead of being trapped by his sister now he was trapped by both of his parents. Both of their arms were resting on him.

"It's Christmas." Harry said in a heart breaking voice.

"It's early." Albus repeated in the same voice.

"Pleeease." Harry begged with his best puppy dog eyes.

Albus cracked one eye open and felt his resolve slip a little bit. Harry looked completely miserable; there were even tears in his eyes. He sniffed once and jutted his lip out a bit further when he saw his father watching him.

"Fine." Albus said. "I'll get up and make breakfast." He said.

Harry's face fell and his eyes filled with an exaggerated fear. "Dear sweet Merlin, no. Anything but that." He said in a terrified voice.

"Should I be insulted?" Albus asked as he nuzzled his wife's neck.

"He does have a point dear." Minerva replied groggily.

They could hear laughter from the doorway. Everyone knew their father could not cook. Greatest wizard of the age he may have been but he was clueless when it came to the inner workings of a kitchen. Not for lack of trying he used to try and cook regularly, or so their mother told them, but it got to the point where before he could serve his food the house elves would banish it. When the elves were confronted they said they were only trying to help their master that it was unhealthy in ingest the things he created.

"Loves, your mothers tired." Minerva said.

Instantly everyone stopped laughing. "We can go." Evan said immediately, his tone now one of worry.

"Why don't you join us and we'll all sleep for a bit." Minerva suggested. Everyone in the doorway paused to consider the offer. Even though Nathan was the youngest of that group it had still been several years since he had slept in the same bed as his parents. Harry was the only child who still did that occasionally, because every once and a while he would suffer from nightmares.

"There's enough room for everyone." Albus said as the bed expanded to twice that of its original size.

"It's warm." Harry added as he snuggled deeper into his parents embrace.

Lizzy was the first to accept the offer. She walked into the room and collapsed into the bed next to her father. Albus shifted a little and wrapped his other arm around his daughter. Lizzy snuggled into her father and got under the thick warm blankets.

Evan and Nathan followed her. Evan took the spot next to his sister and stole pillow from his father while Nathan took the spot next to Harry and his mother. Minerva stretched out her hand so that it crossed Harry and rested easily on Nathans chest.

The bedroom door shut gently and the room was bathed in darkness. "Night." Harry said as he felt himself drifting off to sleep. He felt safer in this moment than he had since he left for school. His entire family was somehow squashed into this bed and being this close to them reassured Harry that they would never let anyone hurt him, not even Voldemort.

"Good night everyone." Albus said. Lizzy hummed something as did Evan but Minerva and Nathan stayed silent. Minerva because she was too tired and Nathan because he was too lost in thought.

Soon though everyone was once more sleeping. They didn't even notice when a certain nosy flying instructor peeked her head into the room looking for the family she had always know to be up at the crack of dawn on Christmas. When the flash of a camera filled the room twice the only response was for the camera to come flying out of Rolanda's hand and into the now out stretched hand of Albus Dumbledore. Rolanda made and eep then fled the room, very well aware of what Albus Dumbledore could do to a person he was angry at.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

A loud belch echoed throughout the room causing the glasses on the table to rattle, the previously loud conversation stopped and everyone starred in shock at the smallest person in the room.

"Harry James! That was disgusting." Minerva McGonagall scolded. "At least have the decency to apologize or asked to be excused."

Rolanda Hooch who was sitting beside him smacked his roughly on the back. "That was brilliant." She said with a beaming smile. Minerva was not amused. At the head of the table Albus was trying not to smile.

"Excuse me." Harry said meekly, blushing to the roots of his hair. His brothers were all smiling widely at him and so was Nathans friend Chris who had joined them for Christmas dinner. He hadn't meant to do it but for Christmas Nathan had given him a bottle of a muggle drink called Coca-Cola. It was the most amazing thing he had ever tasted. He loved the way the bubbles tickled his throat as he swallowed the drink. The best part of the gift was that Nathan had enchanted it to always be cold, never flat, and to refill for the next eighteen months. At first he thought the bottle was cursed but his father assured him that it was not, needless to say the bottle hadn't left his side all day.

Minerva lifter her glare from her son and the conversation picked up again. Harry took another drink of his soda and listened as his family told Chris stories of past experiences.

"I have a question." Chris said and Albus nodded for him to continue. "You said that you married in what was it nineteen forty two, but Evan and Elizabeth here are eighteen, so they were born in seventy-three. Why the thirty year wait?" he asked curiously.

"Well there were a lot of factors in our decision." Albus started. "First and foremost Minerva was very young and while I was older I was not ready for the responsibility of children. Another reason was that there was war going on at the time that we both participated in extensively."

"Not to mention I wanted to travel the world and it would not have been possible to do so with children." Minerva added in between bites of cobbler.

"Where have you traveled to?" Chris asked curiously. The rest of the table looked on as well, they had all heard the stories but it was still fascinating to hear the tales.

"I think an easier question would be where we have not traveled to. The list would be a great deal shorter." Albus answered.

"We have walked, or flown through every country in the world. For twenty-nine summer holidays we traveled to every far reaching corner of the world." Minerva said with a fond smile. "In fact Lizzy and Evan were a product of a trip to the Great Pyramid of Giza." She said with a sly smile.

"The sunsets there are magnificent." Albus commented starring at his wife from across the table. They both sat at an end of the long oak table. Rolanda sat on one side closest to Minerva with Harry next to her and then Nathan next to Harry. On the other side of the table were the twins and Chris. Chris sat across from Nathan and next to Evan.

All the children gagged or shuddered. Almost as if planned two voices rang out. "Kinky." Rolanda's hawk like eyes snapped to the newest addition and she smiled wickedly.

"I'm liking you more and more." She said. Chris nodded to her but thought it wiser not to respond. Minerva was starring Rolanda down, hard, and Albus was doing his best not to think of the trouble Chris and Rolanda could cause together. The children all looked green at the thought of their parents being kinky, all of them except Harry who was just confused. He considered himself a reasonably intelligent young man but he had never come across the word 'kinky' before.

"What's kinky?" he asked some moments later.

The effect was instantaneous. His father spewed his red wine out onto the table, covering most of the food and people except Minerva who was too far away and Harry who had been conveniently leaning back in his chair letting Nathan shield him. His aunt started choking on a tart she had been devouring. Lizzy covered her mouth with her hand and suppressed her laughter. Nathan and Chris who had been sitting closest to Albus sat there shocked and covered in spewed wine. Evan just starred at his youngest brother then at the chaos he had created then at his brother again. At the other end of the table Minerva closed her eyes and counted to ten.

When she opened her eyes again Nathan and Chris were losing a battle to control their facial expressions. Rolanda coughed and the piece of tart she had been choking on flew out of her mouth and landed in the center of a delicious looking half eaten blackberry pie. Instantly Nathan, Chris, Evan, Lizzy and Rolanda started to laugh uproariously. Albus blinked and transferred his stunned and somewhat embarrassed gaze to Harry who sat there with a look of the utmost confusion.

Minerva waved her wand and instantly everyone was cleaned of wine. She stood and her eyes were traveling back and forth between Rolanda and Chris with a ferocity that stopped all the laughter immediately. Not only was she furious about them making crude remarks in front of her son, she had been a teacher for more than half her life she what went on in dorms and what the young boys talked about. She knew her son would be exposed to things much worse in the years to come, but she wanted to delay that for as long as possible. He was her baby boy.

A larger part of her anger came from the way those too dared to describe something as beautiful what her and Albus had done in such crude and disgusting terms. She knew she wasn't thinking rationally but there were more hormones traveling through her body then she knew what to do with and so far she had behaved herself very well. They insulted her when they spoke so sordidly. She did not take to being insulted very well. The last person who had insulted her no longer had the means to reproduce.

"If you'll excuse us, it is late and Harry should be getting to bed." She said through gritted teeth.

Harry glanced around fearfully but before he could plead for his life his mother's hand was gently steering him out of the room. Once they were out of the room Harry dared to look up at his mother, her eyes were on fire and her face was set in stone.

"I'm sorry." He said in a small voice. He didn't understand what had happened but he did know that he had somehow caused it.

The fire in her eyes died instantly and she looked down at her son. They stopped as they were outside his bedroom door. "Never apologize for asking questions, Harry." She said softly her green eyes boring into his. "I am not angry at you, child."

Harry nodded unsurely and opened his bedroom door. He walked in and sat at his desk, his bed was covered with presents he had received from his family and friends. Minerva followed him and quirked an eyebrow at the mess. "I thought you said you had put everything away?" she asked.

Harry yawned then smiled sheepishly. "I started but got… distracted." He said guiltily looking at the tome on his desk. It was large, larger than any book he owned and also older. The book was a present he had received from his parents. He had been shocked speechless when they handed him an Ancient Egyptian book on wards. The book had originally been scrolls but some hundreds of years ago it had been converted into a tome for preservation. Along with the tome he had received a modern book on hieroglyphics, before he could learn anything from the book he would have to translate it. That didn't deter him at all, he had been more excited when he saw the book them the first time he had gone flying.

"I see." Minerva said with a smile. "I'll make you a deal. I'll put all the clothing away, if you put everything else away."

"Deal!" Harry said with a smile. With the flick of her wrist all of the clothes Harry had received flew into his closet folding and organizing themselves. He had received a lot of clothes for Christmas. Evan and Lizzy had taken it upon themselves to buy him a completely new wardrobe as they had noticed that he grew two inches since starting school. Harry had been pleasantly surprised to see a huge variety in the clothing they had purchased. He had several new sets of wizard robes, even a new cloak that could pass for a long black pea coat in the muggle world. He also had a whole new array of muggle clothing to choose from, everything from jeans to simple white tee shirts.

"Thank you." He said as he watched the last sock zoom into his closet.

"Your very welcome." Minerva said. "I trust you won't stay up to late." She said with a knowing look.

"I'll try not to." Harry said not meeting his mothers eye.

"Good night Harry." Minerva said. She stepped forward and gave him a gentle kiss on the top of his head.

Harry wrapped his arms around his mother and gave her a quick hug. "Night mum. I had a really fantastic Christmas and I know I've said it before but thank you for the book." Harry said sincerely not letting his mother out of his grip; she didn't seem to want to move either.

"You are welcome Harry and Harry said sincerly

I must once again thank you for your beautiful gift. I have never seen a more beautiful rose in my life. I had quite forgotten about seeing them when you returned from the forest. I have never seen anything like it in my life. In over a month they haven't wilted at all." Minerva said still somewhat amazed at what her son had given her. It was her first experience with something such as this, it gave her something to study and marvel at the beauty of.

Harry smiled happily to himself, glad that his mother had liked his present. The other two roses sat sparkling on his very full bookshelf. He released his mother from his embrace. She gave him another gentle kiss, this time on his forehead before she swiftly left his room, the steely glint returning to her eyes. Harry felt a pang of sympathy for everyone still in the quarters.

He sighed and pushed the earlier incident out of his mind. He wasn't really sure what had happened but he admitted to himself that seeing his father spray everyone in wine was a hilarious sight, that still didn't mean he would ask his parents what 'kinky' meant anytime soon, probably not ever.

He stood and started to go through his presents that he had previously dumped on his bed. In addition to the amazing soda bottle Nathan had also bought him new football cleats and a football that yelled whenever it was kicked. It had a very foul mouth. He had a huge pile of candy from various Hogwarts students that he regularly hung out with. He'd been relieved because for the most part he had just sent everyone lots of candy.

He had a few new games, some new snap cards, a set of gobblestones, and a board game called monopoly that he was curious about. Sadly he received few new books. Only seven. His Aunt Perenelle and Uncle Nick had both sent him books. One huge book on transfiguration that explained everything and anything you could ever want to know, one on alchemy, a subject Harry had yet to explore despite his father's success in that area, and finally they had sent him a auto biography written by the two of them called, _Immortality and me._

The last book left Harry slightly curious. Why had he received a book about his aunt and uncles life? Earlier Harry had dismissed it but know he was curious. He opened the book and was shocked to find that it wasn't a book at all. Instead of pages he was starring into an empty box. There was a note inside that must have been from his uncle. He closed the box and studied it. The craftsmanship was remarkable. He couldn't tell that it was anything other than a book, there was no seem and all the pages looked to be realistic. He realized there must be some sort of illusion on it to make it look so realistic. He opened the box again and took out the note.

_Hullo Harry,_

_I apologize for not visiting on Christmas day but you shall see me soon. Elle and I are currently in South America exploring. I was walking through a small village when I saw a man displaying something very similar to this here secret box. I thought of you and your love for books and decided to make you one._

_The inside of the box has been magically expanded my myself, I tested it and you can easily fit six bottles of firewhiskey, but I don't want you to test that feature for another couple of years. Put whatever you like in here. Just don't put live animals, they counter act with the expansion charm makes a terrible mess, but organic plants and such are fine._

_Have fun with it._

_Love,_

_Uncle Nick_

_P.S. Please don't mention this to your aunt._

Harry grinned and put the note back in the box thinking of all the possibilities a box such as this had. For now he gathered all of his new books and found room for them on his nigh overflowing bookshelf. He would need a new one soon.

Next he put his new games away, some found a new home in his closet others in his desk and still more in a trunk that was already filled with old toys.

Looking at his bed he was relieved to see it was almost clear. He put all of his newly begotten candy in an empty draw of his desk. It was his candy draw. He had been shocked when he had come home and found that his entire stash was gone. Nathan had informed him that he wasn't the only one. His mother apparently had found everyone's and devoured them.

The only things left on his bed were a poster of the Manchester football team from Seamus and a matching hat. A rather beautiful ink and quill set from Daphne along with a note demanding he write her. Finally there was a set of potions ingredients from Blaise. In his short and to the point note he explained that he had noticed Harry was running low on supplies.

He put his gifts from Seamus and Blaise aside, they would be returning to school with him, but placed Daphne's on his desk. He returned at his desk and pulled out a fresh roll o parchment, dipped his new quill in his new ink pot then stopped. What could he write to Daphne? Everyone thought he lived with his squib aunt and had no brothers or sisters. How was he supposed to explain what a wonderful holiday he was having?

After contemplating his problem for some minutes he decided to write a very basic correspondence. He told he her was having a great holiday and hoped she could say the same. He told her he loved the gift and was using it to write her, but other than that it was all just full of pleasantries. Before he ended it he did tell her that he missed her sparkling smile, just to get a rise out of her.

He folded the letter and tied it with a simple red ribbon and set it aside. He would send it to her tomorrow.

He looked at the clock that was on the night stand next to his desk. It was only ten o' clock. Instead of going to sleep like his mother requested he pulled his new book on understanding hieroglyphics toward him. There was no time to start studying like the present.

Albus waved his wand and all of the various glasses that had been used for their meal cleaned themselves then neatly stacked themselves in a cabinet next to the pantry. After Minerva stormed out of the room with Harry the other occupants of the room had stayed quiet. Working in silence they managed to clear the table of any evidence of a meal.

Rolanda stood to the side of the room near the exit with half a blackberry pie under her arm. Albus sat at the head of the table with a frown on his face, he was waiting for his wife to return. The twins were sitting next to each other, sharing looks but not speaking. Nathan was tracing his finger through the lines of the wood on the table top. Chris was sitting with his hands on his lap shifting uncomfortably every few minutes.

Ten minutes after she had left the door opened and Minerva strode back into the room. Her face was stony but she was no longer radiating the anger she had before. Everyone took this as a good sign.

"Min, I'm sorry. I forgot that Harry was in room. I didn't-"

"Stop Rolanda." Minerva said sharply her eyes flashed dangerously and Rolanda fell silent. "Harry is eleven years old. You are supposed to be an adult you should have known better than to speak as such in front of him." She snapped angrily.

"I'm sorry-" the witch started again.

"I also do not appreciate you speaking so vulgarly about my husband and I." she said with a glare at Rolanda and Chris. "I will forgive you this time but do it again and I will show you exactly how why death eaters fear me." Rolanda and Chris looked at her with wide eyes and nodded.

"I'll uh just be going now." Rolanda said as she inched her way towards the door. "Happy Christmas and thanks for the grub." She said then disappeared taking the pie with her.

"I'm knackered."Evan said as he stood up. Lizzy followed him and they both left the room as quickly as they could without running.

Albus heaved a sigh and stood. "Would you join me for a game of chess and a cup of tea?" He asked as he put an arm around Minerva's waist.

"Make it hot chocolate." Minerva said with a shadow of a smile on her lips.

"I've corrupted you." Albus laughed as they headed towards the door.

"I'm sorry for disrespecting you." Chris said quickly before the couple could leave the room. Albus and Minerva turned to face the boy who was now standing. "I apologize for speaking so thoughtlessly and in the future I will think before I speak." He said sincerely.

"Thank you." Minerva said. "I forgive you. I would also like to apologize for losing my temper, it is not something I usually do."

"I understand." Chris said with a jubilant smile. "I'll see you some time." He said as he flicked his wand and his coat appeared in his arms.

"You're welcome to stay." Albus said.

"You have been kind enough to invite me to dinner, one which I royally screwed up. I won't make myself a burden of your generous company." Chris said as he put his long black coat on over his formal black suit.

"You're always welcome here." Albus insisted and Minerva nodded to show her agreement.

Chris grinned. "You may come to regret that." He said with a dangerous grin, one that promised mischief. "Tonight I can't stay, I'm supposed to be hosting… let's say a gala, people started arriving over an hour ago. I'm curious to see what kind of shape my fathers house will be in when I return."

"Please be careful." Minerva said. She had no control over what the boy did. The best she could do was ask that he try and stay safe.

"For you I would do anything." Chris grinned cheekily. "Come on Nattie walk me to the floo." Nathan rolled his eyes but none the less walked his friend to the floo.

Minerva and Albus shared a look but thought better of trying to capture the boy and instead went to the drawing room. For the next hour or so Minerva proceeded to absolutely crush Albus's ego with three straight losses.

"Oh I nearly forgot. I have one more present for Harry." Albus said after his third loss.

"This wouldn't be an elaborate attempt to save your dignity. Would it?" Minerva asked from behind her mug of hot chocolate.

"My dear you stripped me of that long ago." Albus said with a grin. "I really do have something for Harry. It's been in my office for nearly twelve years, you should remember it." He said.

Minerva groaned and put her head back. "You're giving him that accursed cloak aren't you?"

"Of course. James asked me to make sure Harry got it." Albus said with a twinge of sadness.

"Yes but you could always wait until he's older. Do you remember how much trouble James caused with the help of that cloak?"

"Vividly my dear." Albus said with a smile. "Just think for the next two years you won't have to deal with any of the repercussions my actions are sure to have."

"Are you trying to give me grey hair?" she asked seriously.

"It was more along the lines of trying to keep Gryffindor out of the negatives in point standings." Albus answered with twinkling eyes.

"My my headmaster aren't you supposed to be impartial." Minerva teased.

"Well you see Professor I would be but alas my wife has corrupted me."

"Corrupted oh dear. That sounds serious. She must be dangerous to have corrupted one such as yourself." Minerva said her face perfectly neutral but her eyes were shining brightly in laughter.

"Only if you steal her chocolate." Albus said with a smile. He stood up from the arm chair he had been sitting on and leaned across the chess board separating him and his wife. "I'll be right back." He said as he gave her a chastise kiss on the lips. Minerva watched him as he disappeared into his office and returned a moment later with a brightly wrapped package. "Would you like to come dear?" he asked.

"No I think I'll check on the children then head to bed. If you hurry you may get a surprise." She said as she too stood from her comfortable chair.

"A surprise. I wonder what it could be." Albus said as they walked into the hall way that held all of the bedrooms.

"You'll have to hurry to bed to find out." She said with a smile as she opened the twins bedroom. They were both asleep.

She entered the room and Albus walked a little ways down the hall until he reached his sons room. Albus entered the room and was unsurprised to see Harry at his desk engrossed in a book.

"Dad I was uh just getting ready for bed." Harry said a little guiltily.

"I'm sure." Albus said as he walked in and sat on his sons bed. "I have something for you."

"Isn't Christmas over?" Harry asked as he got up from his chair and made his way over to his father.

"Not for another twenty minutes." Albus said. Harry sat next to his father eyeing the brightly wrapped gift. "I was entrusted this over twelve years ago by a man who got much use out of it. He asked me to pass it down to his son if he was unable to." Albus said seriously.

Harry looked from his father to the gift and reached out with tentative hands. "It's from my father?" he asked.

Albus nodded and watched as Harry gently ripped the paper open. "I wrapped it." He said. Harry rolled his eyes at his fathers choice of paper. It was bright blue with shooting stars flying about everywhere. The last bit of paper fell away and Harry's eyes went wide as he picked up the cloak made out of shimmery silver material.

"Is this-?" he asked in awe.

"An invisibility cloak, yes. James lent it to me years ago for study. It has been in the Potter family for generations, according to James." Albus said.

"Wicked." Harry said as he stood up and wrapped himself in the cloak so that the only thing visible was his head. Albus smiled as he thought of all the paper work that cloak would cause him.

Before either father or son could say anything Harry's door opened and a worried Minerva beckoned Albus, not seeming surprised at the sight of her sons head without out the rest of his body. "Albus could you come here please?" she asked tersely.

"Of course my dear." Albus answered immediately noticing that something was wrong. "Good night Harry and use the cloak well." He told his son. He gave Harry a brief kiss on the top of his head before walking out of his sons room. As soon as the door closed he turned to his wife. "What's wrong? Is it the baby? Should I call for Poppy?" he asked quickly while checking his wife over.

"Nathans missing." Minerva said in strangled voice.

Authors note.

Wow my first cliff hanger. I'm kind of excited to see the responses I get.

I have a couple of things to say/write so bear with me. First I would like to answer a question that I received from a reviewer. _The choosen ones twin _asked me how old Albus and Minerva are and I know I didn't make it very clear so I'm going to clarrify that right now. In my time line Albus was born in 1910 and Minerva is born fourteen years later in 1924. Which means that in 1991, Harry's first year, Albus is 81 and Minerva is 67.

Also in my opinion witches and wizards on average live twice as long as muggles and the more magical power one has the longer said witch or wizard can sustain their bodily functions. Because of this it is my theory that witches and wizards age at a much slower rate than muggles, especially if they have large amounts of magical power at their command. In my story both Albus and Minerva look like their in their mid-thirties.

Secondly I would like to wish everyone who celebrates a Happy Thanksgiving. To those of you who don't celebrate your not missing out on anything good. Having my entire family in the same house is nothing nothing short of a catastrophe. Every year when I leave and the house is still standing I'm amazed. To everyone with as a volatile family as me I wish you the best of luck.

Review me!!!

Peace out,

Alisha


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